An Angel's Fall
by Akako Hama
Summary: This version is dead. A rewrite is posted already, though I'm keeping this up for comparison.
1. Prologue

**OK this is my first Tales story so please go easy on me, I'm not good with the characters yet.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia, only my oc.**

Prologue: Two Friends, Pranks, and New Magic

"Hoshi I don't think this is a good idea." An auburn haired teen called after a white haired, violet eyed teenage girl.

"Don't be such a stick in the mud." Hoshi replied, "This'll be great. You said that you couldn't stand your uncle so let's prank him."

"I don't know, he doesn't like you that much, and could try to have you executed." The boy warned.

"Kratos, you know as well as I do that all forms of execution the king uses does not involve decapitation, and because I'm a half-demon I can't die that easily." She argued, grinning widely, "And don't ya wanna see his face at the dinner party when an ink bomb goes off in his pants pocket?"

"OK you win." Kratos laughed, "So all I have to do is distract the staff long enough for you to sneak the ink bomb in."

"Exactly, and I knew you'd see it my way." The half-demon smirked.

* * *

"I am glad that the army managed to capture Ozette from the Tethe'allan's." Lady Aurion said, unaware of how bored her son seemed. Kratos was waiting for the ink bomb to go off just for some form of entertainment, while Hoshi just silently slept sitting straight up. His mother would have never allowed the half-demon girl there if she wasn't his friend, or if she was actually aware of what the violet eyed girl was.

The half-breed's eyes slipped open and focused on the man at the head of the table, the prank was about to go off. A loud pop caught everyone's attention as the large man shot up a black stain on the back of his pants. Both teens bust up in laughter at the sight of him, ignoring all of the glares that they received.

"Serriana learn to control that boy of yours!" the king roared, "And have him control the servant girl he befriended as well!"

"Hoshi is not a servant!" Kratos argued, "She's the blacksmith's apprentice, and has helped make most of the army's weapons."

"A blacksmith!" Serriana shouted, "I forbid you from ever seeing this filthy peasant!"

"Mesu. (1)" Hoshi growled, eye's flecked with gold, "Kratos, Anata wa korera no hito wa kanzen'na roba sa rete iru koto o shitte imasu ka?(2)"

"Watashi ga shitte iru.(3)" He replied, glaring at all of the noble's present.

* * *

"Sorry about my _mother's _attitude." Kratos spat, eyes angry.

"I really don't care what those stuck ups think of me." Hoshi replied, examining and ancient looking piece of paper, "Just so ya know this thing here is for a special spell that requires two casters."

"Really?" he asked, his full attention on the new piece of information.

"Yep, I signed it and now I think I'll find someone else to do so as well." She replied.

"I'll sign." the teen said quickly.

"It's a demonic spell." The half-demon argued, "And even if I let you, the contract will cause some of your mana to turn demonic, which could kill you."

"I'll be fine." he argued, "I have an exsphere equipped so I should be fine."

"You're just lucky I got ya that weird mount from a dwarf." she chuckled, "I'm not gonna let ya."

"I won't help you pull pranks on my uncle unless you do."

"Kuso!" she snarled, "Fine I'll let ya sign it, but don't blame me if ya get sick or something."

"Thanks!"

* * *

"See this is what happens when you befriend peasants." Serriana lectured her ill son, "You catch one of the diseases they carry."

"Mom, Hoshi's never been sick in her life, how can she carries a sickness?" Kratos argued, knowing that the real cause was what he was warned about. He body was adjusting to the new type of mana he was infused with, it was surprising he wasn't violently ill instead of just having a fever.

Once his mother left a familiar white haired head popped up, "I told ya you'd get sick after signing that spell's contract. But do ya listen? No! Ya just wanna learn a cool spell."

"OK, I get it!" he sighed, "I should've listened to you."

"I'm glad ya learned that lesson, and don't worry with your exsphere equipped, you'll recover by tomorrow." She said happily, "Then I'll teach ya the incantation."

* * *

"So, what exactly is the incantation?" Kratos asked.

"It's an old song in the demonic language." Hoshi explained, "It's pretty easy to learn especially since you already learned."

"OK, but what is the incantation?"

"Dekireba, watashi o tasukete Kore wa, chōdo kono kotoda, Watashi wa yūsente iru hōhō de wanai Sorede, anata wa, kudasai kanō-sei ga aru, Watashi wa riyū o rikai suru herupu Anata ga wazawai shite, korera no mubōna kurai yokubō o ataete kureta, anata ga shite iru Mōichido jibun jishin ni yokotawaru Jisatsu baka,, Sore nitsuite kangaete miyou Pondo wa dansō-sen-jō de, Sore wa nani no kichōna, anata ni sore o eru tame ni jikan ga kakarimasu ka? Watashi wa kono ue ni iru Naze, anata wa kono yō ni sore o sutete hoshii Kono yōna konran, Naze watashi wa anata o mite hoshii. Oyobi setsudan jiko ichi-do ni 1tsu no kajō-gaki o hakai, Ima anata no rasshu wa nanidesu ka? Dare mo ga shinuto kare no hi ni narimasu Yakuyō, Dorama no joō, Eizō no kanzen'na mahi kōsen-tekina taido, Jiko tōsui, Dorama no joō, Katsubō no meisei to sono subete no taihai Mōichido anata no ha o kaishite yokotawaru Jisatsu baka, Sore nitsuite kangaete miyou Pondo wa dansō-sen-jō de, Nani sore wa anata no kichōna ni sore o eru tame ni jikan ga kakarimasu ka? Watashi wa naze anata wa kono yō ni sore o sutete hoshii, kono ueda? Kono yōna konran wa, naze watashi wa anata o mite mitaidesu ka? Oyobi setsudan serufutaimu de, 1tsu no dangan o hakai, Ima anata no rasshu wa nanidesu ka? Dare mo ga suru Motte Kare Nichi Ni Dai Karera wa anata no kenri nitsuite sa reta Karera wa anata no kenri nitsuite sa reta Futatabi watashi no kao ni yokotawaru Jisatsu baka, Kangaete mite, anata wa, dansō-sen-jō de tataite iru Nani sore wa anata no kichōna made eru tame ni jikan ga kakarimasu ka? Watashi wa kono ue ni iru Naze anata wa kono yō ni sore o suteru nodesu ka? Kono yōna konran, Watashi wa kono ue ni iru Kono ōbā! Setsudan To jiko, hakai 1 Dangan Toki Wa nanidesu Anata no Isoide, Dare mo ga suru Motte Kare Nichi Ni Dai Anata wa, hikigane o hiku koto o sentaku shita baai Anata no dorama wa, seijitsu man'ichi Sore wa doko ka Tōku hanareta koko kara." she sang, "Well there you go."

"Wow that's long." he whistled.

"Yeah, works better if ya fight with a group of people instead of just the two who can use the spell." the half-demon chuckled, "So I heard your dad's making ya join the army."

"Yeah he is." the auburn haired teen sighed.

"Just don't go and become a mercenary instead." she grinned.

"That might work, but what about the demonic mana?" he replied

"You can't sense it in a pure human." Hoshi chuckled, "And the spell is called Black Judgment in case you were wondering."

/end of chapter/

**OK, the whole contract thing was so Kratos could use magic, and don't go whining about how he ingested some rock thing that I have forgotten the name of, this is an AU. So there, and don't bug me about Hoshi either, that spell may be powerful but it requires two casters and almost completely drains both. And I will do my best to keep her from being a Mary Sue if she starts to sound like one warn me and I will make sure to change it.**

**Also I have no idea how Kratos acted when he was younger so I guessed, lets just say Lloyd got his easily exicted habit from his dad and short attention span from his mom. ^w^**

_**(1) bitch**_

_**(2) Kratos you do know that these guys are complete asses?**_

_**(3) I know.**_

**Yeah, just so everyone knows, I'm using Japanese for the demonic language because I'm using it the most and I need to learn it. You'll find out what Angelic is later on. And the incantation for Black Judgment is the Japanese translation for The Outsider by A Perfect Circle, only because I really like the song. **

**So review and tell me what you think. Flames will be used to burn Kvar. **

**And just so some idiots out there know, flaming is outright insulting a story without telling one what you found wrong or an idea on how to correct it. Some flamers like to say that it's constructive criticism, but that tells what is wrong and ways to correct it. Just thought I'd say that.**


	2. Chapter 1

**Akako: HI!**

**Lloyd: Why am I here?**

**Akako: Because you show up this chapter.**

**Lloyd: REALLY?**

**Hoshi: Yep!**

**Kratos: Can we just start?**

**Akako: As soon as Kvar says the disclaimer.**

**Kvar: And why should I?**

**Akako: Because there are three people here that will brutally torture you if I allow it.**

**Kvar: Akako does not own us, only Hoshi and any demonic spells she makes up.**

**Akako: Fear can get you anything.**

"Hi oh King of Sarcasm." normal speech.

"**Insert cool spell here." **spell casting.

_/I like pie./ _thoughts.

"_Shut up!" _someone that lost their temper (coughHoshicough).

Chapter 1: Dreams and Oracles

"KUSO!" Hoshi exclaimed, eyes glowing a bright gold, "We need to stop those armies!"

"How?" Mithos asked, "There's too many!"

"Hoshi, remember that spell you taught me when I was seventeen?" Kratos asked, face grim.

"You want to use that?" she exclaimed, "Are you nuts?"

"We'll have it strike between the two armies and convince them to stop this ridiculous war." The human explained.

"I'm willing to try anything right about now!" Yuan shouted.

"**Dekireba, watashi o tasukete Kore wa, ch****ō****do kono kotoda, Watashi wa y****ū****sente iru h****ō****h****ō**** de wanai Sorede, anata wa, kudasai kan****ō****-sei ga aru, Watashi wa riy****ū**** o rikai suru herupu Anata ga wazawai shite, korera no mub****ō****na kurai yokub****ō**** o ataete kureta, anata ga shite iru M****ō****ichido jibun jishin ni yokotawaru Jisatsu baka,, Sore nitsuite kangaete miyou Pondo wa dans****ō****-sen-j****ō**** de, Sore wa nani no kich****ō****na, anata ni sore o eru tame ni jikan ga kakarimasu ka? Watashi wa kono ue ni iru Naze, anata wa kono y****ō**** ni sore o sutete hoshii Kono y****ō****na konran, Naze watashi wa anata o mite hoshii. Oyobi setsudan jiko ichi-do ni 1tsu no kaj****ō****-gaki o hakai, Ima anata no rasshu wa nanidesu ka? Dare mo ga shinuto kare no hi ni narimasu Yakuy****ō****, Dorama no jo****ō****, Eiz****ō**** no kanzen'na mahi k****ō****sen-tekina taido, Jiko t****ō****sui, Dorama no jo****ō****, Katsub****ō**** no meisei to sono subete no taihai M****ō****ichido anata no ha o kaishite yokotawaru Jisatsu baka, Sore nitsuite kangaete miyou Pondo wa dans****ō****-sen-j****ō**** de, Nani sore wa anata no kich****ō****na ni sore o eru tame ni jikan ga kakarimasu ka? Watashi wa naze anata wa kono y****ō**** ni sore o sutete hoshii, kono ueda? Kono y****ō****na konran wa, naze watashi wa anata o mite mitaidesu ka? Oyobi setsudan serufutaimu de, 1tsu no dangan o hakai, Ima anata no rasshu wa nanidesu ka? Dare mo ga suru Motte Kare Nichi Ni Dai Karera wa anata no kenri nitsuite sa reta Karera wa anata no kenri nitsuite sa reta Futatabi watashi no kao ni yokotawaru Jisatsu baka, Kangaete mite, anata wa, dans****ō****-sen-j****ō**** de tataite iru Nani sore wa anata no kich****ō****na made eru tame ni jikan ga kakarimasu ka? Watashi wa kono ue ni iru Naze anata wa kono y****ō**** ni sore o suteru nodesu ka? Kono y****ō****na konran, Watashi wa kono ue ni iru Kono ****ō****b****ā****! Setsudan To jiko, hakai 1 Dangan Toki Wa nanidesu Anata no Isoide, Dare mo ga suru Motte Kare Nichi Ni Dai Anata wa, hikigane o hiku koto o sentaku shita baai Anata no dorama wa, seijitsu man'ichi Sore wa doko ka T****ō****ku hanareta koko kara" **the half-demon and human chanted, pure black casting circles under them, **"Black Judgment!"**

Black lightning gathered in the air, catching both armies attention, and struck the ground between them. All the soldiers froze in place, staring at the smoking crater in front of them.

/

"Lloyd Irving wake up. Lloyd!"

An eraser hit a brunette teen in the face, effectively waking him. He was surprisingly standing in the back holding a pair of buckets. (Hoshi: How does he sleep standing AND holding buckets? Akako: Shut up you're interrupting the story!) "How do you manage to sleep standing?" a silver haired woman sighed. (Hoshi: I just asked that! Akako: SHUT UP!)

"Oh, Professor Raine. Eh… is class over?" Lloyd chuckled.

"Never mind. Let's have someone else answer the question. Genis, how about you?" Raine sighed, exasperated.

"Yes, Raine." a small silver haired boy replied, standing up, "Mithos, the hero, brought about the end of the ancient war the Holy Ground of Kharlan."

"Correct. Afterwards, Mithos, the hero, formed a pact with the Goddess Martel to seal away the Desians whom caused the war." the professor replied.

"But the Desians came back and are now causing everyone to suffer!" the brunette exclaimed.

"We covered that in class last time, remember? When the Seal weakens the Desians reappear. Just like they have now." the silver haired woman sighed, shaking her head.

"I…I knew that. I…I just forgot…" he chuckled nervously.

Another sigh was heard and the woman continued, "Today is the Day of Prophecy. It is a very important day, which the Chosen of Mana will receive an oracle from the Goddess Martel. Now, Chosen One…Colette."

A blond, blue eyed girl stood, "Yes ma'am."

"Tell us about the journey of world regeneration." Raine stated.

"It is a journey to seal the Desians. Upon passing the trials of the Goddess Martel, the Summon Spirits that protect the world awaken, and mana is restored." Colette answered.

"Correct. I suppose we should expect the Chosen herself to know the answer to that one. Mana depletion is the cause of the current food shortages and droughts. It is said that this occurs because the Desians consume vast amounts of mana in their human ranches." the elfin woman explained, "The Chosen's journey has two purposes—to revive mana as well as defeat the Desians. Now, for the next question—"

A light flashed from the temple cutting off anything the woman could say. "Do,... Toyuu kotodeshita ka?(1)" Lloyd exclaimed, unconsciously using an unusual language.

"That's…" the chosen started, eyes wide. The rest of the students started whispering amongst themselves, the lesson they were going over forgotten.

"Settle down. It would seem that the time for the oracle has come. I will go and check on the chapel. Everyone, stay here and study on your own. Understood?" the professor ordered, heading for the door.

"Professor! I'll go with you!" the blond called.

"No, Colette. If it is the oracle, the priests will come here for you. Wait here with everyone else." With that the silver haired woman left the room, and the students started to talk excitedly with their friends.

The red clad brunette decided that this would be a good time to sneak out of the classroom and go to the temple himself. "Lloyd! Where are you going? Don't tell me you're sneaking out! Raine will get mad!" Genis called, blocking the exit.

"I'm really curious to find out what really happens to Colette when she receives the oracle. They always talk about the Chosen of Regeneration and the Day of Prophecy, but no one tells us what really happens." Lloyd said, grinning.

"But my sister said to stay and study by ourselves!" The elf argued.

The teen was about to reply but stopped when he heard someone approach. He moved out of the way when an injured priest walked through the doorway, only to collapse. "Pastor?" Colette exclaimed running over.

"Oi! Anata wa daijōbudesu ka?(2)" the brunette teen asked, eyes wide.

"The Desians attacked the temple…" the injured man coughed.

"Wait, Iselia has a non-aggression treaty with the Desians." the twelve year old exclaimed.

"You mean that agreement where they don't attack the village as long as we leave the human ranch alone?" the brunette asked.

"Yes…Grandmother said it was to protect me…" the chosen whispered, looking scared before covering her fear with a mask.

"I don't…know why, but they have broken the treaty… Chosen One…hurry…receive the oracle…" the pastor coughed louder, blood escaping his lips.

"I will."

"Please…be careful… I regret that I was…unable to…pro…tect…the…Cho…" the man released a series of blood filled coughs before going completely still.

"Pastor hang on!" the blond exclaimed.

"Sore wa yoi kotoda. Kare ga itte shimatta...(3)" Lloyd said sadly, head bowed. The other two understood what he meant, knowing that the foreign language was only to hide the truth from the other students.

The child and chosen grieved for the man for twenty minutes before Colette straitened, "…I'm going."

"Colette, there are Desians outside!" Genis exclaimed, eyes wide with fear.

"Yes…but I have to go. I am the Chosen. My job is to accept the oracle on the Day of Prophecy. Everyone, wait here, all right?" the blond said, hiding her fear behind a mask of confidence.

"No, we're not letting you go alone. We're going with you" Lloyd said, his face completely blank.

"Are you sure? It's dangerous." she warned, inwardly relieved that her friends truly cared.

"Dwarven Vow 1: Let's all work together for a peaceful world. Let's go!" the brunette said, his normal enthusiasm returned.

"Hurry up, there are Desians there and I'm worried about Raine!" Genis urged, worry showing clearly.

"Thanks, both of you." she said, eyes bright with relief.

The three carried the body out of the classroom and hid it to keep the younger students from realizing what had happened. Once done with that they left the building, an eerie silence hanging in the air. "There's no one here…" the chosen whispered, voice shaking slightly.

"They're scared and are hiding from the Desians." Genis explianed, sharing his friend's fear.

"Chosen!" The three turned to see Frank, Colette's father, approaching them. His eyes filled with worry. Unknown to them, the blond seemed sad at the sight of her father, but she hid it as well as she could.

"Father." she said quietly, bowing her head in respect.

"Frank! Frank! Is it true that the Desians attacked?" the elf asked.

"Yes, it's true. Thankfully, no one was hurt. They passed through the village and headed for the temple." the blond man explained.

"Where is Grandmother?" the chosen asked, looking worried.

"Phaidra is in the temple preparing for the ritual." he replied, looking at his daughter.

"Phaidra's in the temple? Shikashi, sore wa no WHERE Desians...(4)"

"The priests are there with her. There's no need to worry. Now, Chosen…" Frank replied, glaring at the teen for his use of another language.

"I know. I promise to fulfill my duty as the Chosen." Colette whispered.

"Good luck, Chosen." the elder said, before turning to the other two, "Lloyd, Genis. You two should goon home."

"I'm worried about letting Colette go by herself. I'll go with her to the temple." Lloyd argued, eyes narrowed in a way that seemed to shock Frank.

"Me, too." Genis agreed.

"But…all right. Thank you. I'll wait at the house. Come back immediately if anything happens." the blond man sighed as he walked away, "That boy does resemble one of the seraphim, the angel of death to be exact. He can be a frightening child."

The three walked towards the gate only to be cut off by a monster, the brunette drawing his blades, "Whoa, it's a monster!"

"I thought the northern region where the temple is located was a sanctuary! Why are there…" the elf started.

"It must be part of the trial. Martel's trial involves battling monsters." the chosen explained, pulling out her chakrams.

"We don't have time to talk! Let's get this thing!" the oldest of the group shouted, charging in with both swords at the ready.

"Roger!" Genis nodded, pulling out his kendama and beginning to cast fireball, **"****Get him! Fire Ball!"**

**/end of chapter/**

**(1). Wh…what was that?**

**(2). Hey! Are you all right?**

**(3). It's no good. He's gone…**

**(4). But that's where the Desians…**

**Lloyd: Why am I speaking a different language.**

**Hoshi: Well you'll just have to wait.**

**Akako: Hoshi's right, can't give away part of the plot just yet. And I need more practice with Japanese and it seemed like a good way to help out. Besides knowing another language can make you smarter.**

**Lloyd: Really? Kratos can you teach me angelic?**

**Kratos: No.**

**Hoshi: Even I know you'll get bored in seconds. That and Kratos fell asleep when Mithos made it up, and if he finds that boring you'll find learning it even more so.**

**Lloyd: Oh.**

**Akako: Please review! And I repeat flames will be used to burn Kvar.**

**Kvar: No they won't!**

**Hoshi/Kratos/Lloyd: Yes they will.**


	3. Chapter 2

**Hoshi: So when am I showing up again?**

**Akako: Not for a few more chapters.**

**Hoshi: WHAT?**

**Kratos: At least you get to show up. She could've decided to wait for you to show up during the first Trip to Tethe'alla.**

**Hoshi: O.O Good point.**

**Akako: Mithos disclaimer please!**

**Mithos: Akako does not own Tales of Symphonia.**

"Hi oh King of Sarcasm." normal speech.

"**Insert cool spell here." **spell casting.

_/I like pie./ _thoughts.

"_Shut up!" _someone that lost their temper (coughHoshicough).

Chapter 2: A Mercenary and an Angel

"Whoa, that light really is coming from the temple!" Lloyd exclaimed excitedly.

"Then an oracle is going to be conveyed. Colette's going to be the Chosen

of Regeneration." Genis said, eyes bright with excitement.

"It's really, really bright!" Colette said to herself shielding her eyes from the light. The three were staring at the light coming from the top of the temple, the swirling white creating intricate patterns.

The brunette laughed at bit, shaking his head, "Say, Colette…when the oracle is conveyed, you'll become the Chosen who will save the world, right? You're going to be like the hero, Mithos! So maybe you should act a little more…you know, Chosen-like…"

"Yeah! No problem. No problem." The chosen chuckled, a large smile on her face.

"Okay! Let's go, you two!" the teen grinned, walking up the steps.

"Okay!" Genis agreed, following after him. The blond began to run after them but ended up tripping over the air.

"Oww..." she whimpered, pushing her upper body up.

"Are you all right?" Lloyd asked, helping her back up.

"I'm fine, we have to hurry and make sure grandmother is ok!" she replied, already running up the stairs. The other two boys quickly caught up to see Phaidra being cornered by the Desians.

"Where is the Chosen?" the leader demanded.

The old woman looked to see the three and her eyes widened, "Run chosen!"

"Lord Botta there she is!" one of the solders stated, turning to his leader.

Botta turned to see the three students and smirked, "Chosen One, your life is mine!"

"I won't let you Desians get away with anything!" the brunette teen snarled, eyes narrowed.

The leader's eyes widened for a second before regaining his composure, as one of the other foot soldiers began laughing.

"What's so funny?" Genis demanded, glaring.

"Well then, die at the hands of the Desians you so hate. Get them!" soldier number 120 chuckled, rushing in. (Hoshi: Solder 120? Akako: I was running out of things to call them)

Lloyd jumped out of the way and drew his wooden swords, smacking one of the men in the temple with enough force to kill him. Colette threw one of her chakrams at another, only hitting the arm, yet it was enough to render it useless. A fireball spell smashed into the face of the third man, blinding him long enough for the brunette to slam his sword into the back of the man's neck, knocking him out. At that moment the chosen cut open the final soldier's jugular and the man fell to the ground, bleeding out in minutes.

The ground began shaking as a large man carrying hammer and ball and chain came out of the shadows, "Do not get in our way!"

Lloyd tried to attack, but a swing of the hammer knocked him back into the others. The teen was beginning to get up, when he heard Genis gasp out, "This guy's strong!"

"Watashi ga shitte iru! (1)" the teen growled, fixing a glare on the large man. His eyes widened when the ball and chain swung at them, he knew that they couldn't dodge or block in time. His eyes closed and when a blow never came he opened them to see a purple clad back, and a faint memory came to mind.

"Who are you?" the teen asked, eyes wide.

"Get out of the way." the man that saved them ordered, eyes on the opponent.

The brunette glared and got up, using the new arrival's distraction to attack the large man. Soon the enemy fell and Botta backed up slightly, "I never thought you'd show up. Damn… Retreat for now!"

The Desians ran from the temple, Lloyd watching their retreat as his mind kept going back to how familiar the man in purple seemed. The blond seemed to examine the man, he had auburn hair reddish brown eyes, and a cold expression on his face. "Amazing!…" Colette whispered, eyes wide with shock, before a frown crossed her face, /He kinda looks like Lloyd, who is this man?/

"This guy's incredibly strong!" the young elf exclaimed, unaware of the similarities the chosen noticed the brunette and the man shared.

"…Y…yeah. I…I suppose so…" the brunette teen stammered, still confused about the feeling of knowing the purple clad man.

(Akako: Gah! I'm running out of things to call him!)" …Is everyone all right?" he asked, scanning over each of them, "Hmm…no one seems to be hurt."

At that the teen noticed the exsphere on the newcomer's hand, eyes widening slightly, "Is that an Exsphere?"

Before he could get an answer Phaidra walked out of the temple, eyes showing her relief, "How can I ever thank you for saving the Chosen?"

"…I see. So this girl is the next Chosen." the man said, mostly to himself.

"That's right! I have to go accept the oracle! Grandmother, I'm going to undergo the trial now." Colette gasped, she forgot about the oracle during all of the fighting.

"What trial?" Lloyd asked, head tilted slightly to the side.

"The monsters, I assume. An evil presence radiates from inside this chapel." the auburn haired man explained, examining the brunette, /Is he…? No my son died that night, no matter how much I wish otherwise, that fact will never change. /

"Yes, that is correct. The Chosen is to receive judgment from heaven. But the priests that were to accompany her fell at the hands of the Desians." the priestess replied, looking worried.

"Then I'll take on the job of protecting Colette." the brunette teen said, grinning widely.

"Lloyd? …I would be uneasy with just you." the elderly woman said, voice cold.

"Your name is Lloyd?" the man asked, hiding his shock and hope, /Could I have been wrong about him dying fourteen years ago? If I was I'll kill Yuan for dragging me back to Welgaia when I could have found my son. / (Hoshi: Run Yuan Run! Akako: Hoshi, I'm warning you. STOP TALKING!)

"Yeah, but who are you to ask for my name?" the teen replied, frowning. Once again Colette noticed how similar he looked to the purple clad man, she was starting to get an idea as to why as well.

"…I am Kratos, a mercenary. As long as you can pay me, I'll accept the job of guarding the Chosen."

"…Under the circumstances, I have little choice. Please be of service." Phaidra sighed, feeling slightly relieved that the chosen would have such a powerful guardian.

"It's a deal, then." Kratos nodded, a frown still on his face. The priestess easily noted that he was nearly identical in appearance to the statue of the angel of death, the second most powerful of the seraphim.

"W…wait! I'm going, too!" Lloyd stammered, fists clenched.

"Lloyd, you'll only get in the way. Be a good boy and wait here." the mercenary stated, /It's too dangerous, if he is my son I cannot allow him to go into a place so dangerous. / (Hoshi: Aww he's being an overprotective dad. Akako: I will use duct tape on you if you do not stop interrupting.)

"…Gotcha. Then I'm just going to follow you on my own." the brunette said with a smirk.

"You're a stubborn kid. Fine, do as you wish." the purple clad mercenary sighed, a bit of amusement in his voice, /He's just like Anna. /

"I'll just do that." Lloyd said, his smirk melting into a wide smile, "Let's go, Genis!"

"Lloyd, I figured you were going to say that." Genis laughed, shaking his head.

"Of course!"

"This isn't a field trip, you know." Kratos stated, shaking his head while entering the temple, amusement still in his voice.

Once in the temple the two younger males examined the area, the teen seemed surprised "Kore wa tera no naibu ga dono yōna monodesu."

The mercenary seemed shocked at what the brunette said, not suspecting him to know that language. "Colette, you've been in here many times, right?" the elf asked, turning to the blond.

"Yeah, but it seems different than usual."

"I sense the presence of monsters. Don't let your guard down." the auburn haired man warned, eyes scanning the area for enemies.

"We can handle a few measly monsters. Let's go." Lloyd said, already walking towards the middle path.

"Wait. Lloyd…are your sword techniques self-taught?" Kratos called.

"Yeah. That's right." the teen replied. The mercenary sighed and walked over, giving the brunette a training manual.

"What is this thing?"

"If you are going to use a sword, then at least learn the basics. You want to protect the Chosen, don't you?" the purple clad man explained, /Hmm, I shouldn't be too harsh, yet there is still the chance that I am wrong and this boy is not my son. /

"Humph! You think you know so much!" the teen growled, glaring darkly.

The mercenary only shook his head, and continued down the path to the left, the other three following. They ran into a zombie and a spider, the elf cast a quick fireball. Soon the monsters fell, as the mercenary tried to suppress a chuckle, /Hoshi was always afraid of spiders to the point that it was comical. /

Soon they descended a set of stairs and Genis noticed a glowing pedestal one floor below them, "Look, look! There's something glowing."

"Wow! Let's go see it!" Lloyd exclaimed, his previous anger forgotten in his excitement.

/Easily excitable, just like Anna. And I guess like myself when I was his age. Though I'm not sure if I should believe her when it comes to things like that. / Kratos mused.

No one noticed the chosen walk off towards an unaware monster, "Look, there's something here."

The mercenary ran over just as the Golem turned, and slashed at it, the blade not doing much damage. He jumped back as the beast swung at him and began to cast a spell, "Take this, Wind Blade!"

Blades of air cut into the beast weakening it as the elf cast a Wind Blade as well. After a few more spells the monster fell and turned into a block. "Wow! It turned into a rock!" the youngest laughed.

"Well, it was kind of a rock to begin with." the brunette sighed, rolling his eyes. Colette walked forward only to trip and knock the block through a hole on the floor, filling in the missing part of the path.

/(Don't feel like describing every fight)/

"Is this the Sorcerer's Ring? I've heard about it before. It's a holy artifact of the Church of Martel!" Genis explained, eyes wide.

"With this, we should be able to deal with most traps and obstacles." Kratos added, seeming bored with the situation, /Can we please just finish the oracle? This is beginning to become a nuisance./

" Wow! Let me try it!" Lloyd exclaimed, picking up the ring and putting it on.

"…You're like a little kid." The elf sighed, shaking his head.

/(They go to the sealed door)/

A glowing blue wall was barring the way of the four, much to one mercenary's annoyance. "It's sealed." Kratos sighed.

"The Sorcerer's Ring can probably open it." Colette quickly stated.

" Okay! Leave it to me!" Lloyd exclaimed. Fire shot out of the ring and hit the barrier, dispelling it in seconds.

"Oh. Is this all the Sorcerer's Ring does?" the teen said, disappointed.

"You get bored so easily."

The chosen stepped onto the warp panel that was revealed first, followed by the brunette, then the elf, and lastly the mercenary. The four found themselves in a large room with a domed glass ceiling, a glowing red stone set in the middle of the alter.

"This appears to be the top floor." the auburn haired man mused, examining the room in mild curiosity. The teen was doing the exact same thing, looking at the stain glass windows designed in the images of angels before his eyes rested on the alter.

"Yes. That's the altar." the blond replied, /They really do look alike. /

"Then that shining thing there must be the Cruxis Crystal." Lloyd added.

"That's right. They say I was born with that in my hand."

"Look at that light!" Genis exclaimed, eyes on the center of the domed ceiling.

A ball of light descended and with a flash of white a male angel took its place, he had blond hair, wore priest's robes, and had long white wings.

/end of chapter/

**Akako: Well that was fun!**

**Colette: Why am I the only one who notices how similar Lloyd and Kratos look?**

**Akako: Well people bash you too much so I'm trying to make you a little more likeable.**

**Colette: Th-thank you! Please review everyone!**

**Akako: Do it and Kvar gets a slow painful death.**


	4. Chapter 3

**Akako: Yes chapter 3!**

**Lloyd: …**

**Hoshi: You're acting like your dad.**

**Lloyd: O.O**

**Akako: Hoshi leave him alone, I got him planning on methods for killing Kvar in a slow painful manner.**

**Hoshi: Uhh, please continue Lloyd.**

**Akako: Disclaimer please!**

**Hoshi: Akako does not own Tales of Symphonia!**

**Akako: Oh and before I forget here are the translations from last chapter.**

**1) I know!**

**2) So this is what the inside of the temple is like.**

Chapter 3: The Start of a Long Journey

"Wh…what is that?" Lloyd asked, eyes wide.

"An angel, I would assume." Kratos replied, fists clenched, /If he lies to the chosen about being her father, I'll kill him myself in the tower. No child should be misled this way, especially if said child might be a friend of my son's. /

"So is that Colette's real father?" Genis asked, unaware of the silently raging mercenary.

"I am Remiel. I am an angel of judgment. I am here to guide Colette, daughter of the mana lineage, on her journey to heaven as the seventh Chosen." Remiel said in a voice that showed he believed he was superior. Only Lloyd seemed to notice the tone the angel used, as his eyes narrowed in a way similar to the auburn haired man's.

The angel hid a look of surprise at the identical glares he received, suppressing a shudder. "The time has come to awaken the Goddess Martel, who sleeps at the center of the world." he continued, /Lord Kratos is displeased by my presence and that boy… /

"Awaken the Goddess Martel… It's just like the legend Raine told us about." the elf whispered, eyes even wider. The Cruxis Crystal floated up and over to the blond, attaching to the base of her throat.

"From this moment, Colette becomes the Chosen of Regeneration. We of Cruxis bless this event, and hereby bestow the Tower of Salvation upon Sylvarant." The teen and child noticed a large tower that had appeared in the distance and their faces showed their shock plainly.

"Dakara sukui no tōdesu!"

"Now the world will be saved!" the elf exclaimed, almost jumping with excitement.

The angel's eyes widened slightly, but a single glare from Kratos told him to ignore the teen's use of a foreign language. "Colette, the Chosen of Regeneration. Unlock the seals that guard the Tower of Salvation and climb its stairs to heaven in distant lands." the blond angel continued, trying to ignore the forbidding feeling he had, /Is that boy Lord Kratos' son? /

"I humbly accept this task." Colette said, head bowed.

"Very good. We of Cruxis shall grant you the power of the angels with each seal you unlock. Once you are reborn as an angel, this eroded world shall be regenerated." he added, with a cold smile.

"Thank you. I swear on my life I will regenerate the world." the chosen replied, fighting off her fear.

"First head south, to the Seal of Fire. Offer your prayers in that distant land." Remiel explained, beginning to ascend.

"Uh, wait! Please wait! I have a question I wish to ask of you. Are you really my fa-" the blond girl called, eyes wide.

"First head to the Seal of Fire. Understood? My beloved daughter, Colette." the angel interrupted, feeling nervous at the look of pure hate that the mercenary gave him.

"F…father!…So you really are my true father." the young girl whispered, eyes filling with tears of happiness, /Finally a father who doesn't just see me as the chosen, but his child. /

"We shall meet again at the next seal, my daughter." With that the angel turned into a ball of light and vanished.

"So that was the oracle. I wish Raine could have seen him." Genis said to himself, before paling in realization at what would have happened if she had.

"Colette?" Lloyd called, head tilted to the side.

"I can't believe Remiel is my father…" she said to herself before realizing her name was called, "I'm all right. I was just a little surprised. That's all."

"You've received the oracle. Then let us leave now, Chosen." Kratos said, turning to the warp panel.

"…Oh, yes." she replied, blinking.

"We're going on ahead." the mercenary stated, leaving the room. Back in the entrance, he let out his rage on a nearby zombie, cutting into its body until it was barely recognizable.

"That bastard!" he hissed, "Twisting a child's dream and using it against her, I will make him pay for that!"

He heard the sound of someone exiting the warp panel and walked away from the dissolving monster remains. "Mr. Kratos, are you alright, you seem stressed?" Colette asked, worried.

"I am fine, being in the Iselia area just brings up some painful memories." he replied before realizing what he just let slip out.

"Did you lose your family?" she asked, "Because Lloyd lost his parents in the forest, but only his mother's body was found so his father might still be alive."

"Wishful thinking." he sighed, beginning to leave the temple.

* * *

"Then, we shall entrust the protection of the Chosen to Kratos and Raine." the mayor stated, eyeing the mercenary nervously, /This man resembles the Angel of Death too closely. /

"I have no objections." Kratos replied, mind still wandering, /Does the Chosen suspect the same thing I do? What she said back in the temple, it sounds like the Lloyd I saw in the temple could be my son. I am going to kill Yuan. /

He heard the door open and Lloyd and Genis walked in, Colette smiling brightly at the sight of the two, "Thank you so much for your help earlier!"

"Ohh, you're back! Thank you for your assistance earlier! Please accept this small thanks." Phaidra smiled, handing the elf a small book.

"Thank you." the young boy bowed his head in respect.

"Thanks, Phaidra. Say, were you talking about the world regeneration journey just now?" the teen asked, eyes bright.

"Yes." the old woman replied.

"Wow! I want to go, too! I wanna see Colette regenerate the world!"

"If Raine is going, I want to go, too."

"No. You'll get in the way." Kratos snapped, /The journey is too dangerous, he can't go. /

"Na... Nani?"

"The battles at the chapel were nothing compared to the journey that awaits us. Children need to stay home." the mercenary snapped, /IF Hoshi taught him that language, I will make her pay. /

The teen stormed out followed closely by his worried friend, the chosen ran after them, giving the auburn haired man a sad look. "You were too harsh, Lloyd is sensitive, even if he doesn't show it." Frank sighed, shaking his head.

"…"

* * *

/Anna's grave and Noishe, this really is my son. I'm a terrible father, I should've checked with the dwarf I heard about to see if he found him. / Kratos thought staring at the grave stone before him sadly. He heard footsteps approach and turned his head to see Lloyd.

"Whose gravestone is this?" the mercenary asked once the teen stopped.

"Ah, you heard, right? It's my mom's."

"Anna…hmm… Is your father alive?" /He acts like her, yet I can see what he inherited from me. /

"…I don't know. But Dirk is my dad."

The brunette did not notice the pained look that crossed the auburn haired man's face at those words, "…Yes. That was a careless thing to ask. I'm sorry"

The teen walked off and his eyes returned to the grave, a chuckle escaping him, "Kare wa definatley anata no netsui o motte imasu."

"Hmm, I thought only Lloyd knew that language." Raine stated, walking over.

"I had a friend who taught it to me." he replied, /Hoshi's the only one who could make a lecture interesting back then. /

"I see, and who is this friend of yours?"

"Hoshi Lynn Akuma, we used to be like siblings before we went our separate ways."

* * *

The three were being seen off by most of the village, only Lloyd was not there. Kratos did not appreciated the chosen lying to his son yet he could not confront her about it. As they left the village Colette got many wishes of luck, and praise from the villagers. Soon they were out of the gates and after a few hours the village could no longer be seen. His frown did not leave his face, he was leaving his only child behind after finally finding him, he was a terrible father.

"Mr. Kratos are you all right?" Colette asked, eyes filled with concern.

"I am fine." he lied, voice cold. He cold feel the glare Raine was giving him, but ignored it in favor of keeping an eye out for any monsters. He started to remember when he first became a mercenary, his closest friend traveling with him. He could almost hear her screaming death treats at a perverted thief.

"I'LL RIP YPUR BALLS OFF AND SHOVE THEM DOWN YOUR THROAT IF YOU SAY THAT AGAIN YOU PERVERTED THIEF!" a female voice roared from a few miles away.

"That sounded like…" he began running ahead, the other two trying to keep up with him. He arrived at the spot to see a white haired girl strangling a weakly struggling thief, whose eyes shone with fear.

"I-I take it back!" the man gasped, and was released. He scrambled away, as if his life depended on it, which it most likely did.

"Hoshi, must you be so violent?" Kratos sighed, shaking his head.

"Kratos, you know I cannot stand perverts." the girl replied, before she stiffened and turned, "When did you show up in the Iselia region. I thought you hated this place after that bastard Kvar caused your wife's death and your three-year-old son to disappear."

"I was looking for work." the mercenary sighed, "And I am trying to keep those memories from coming up."

"At least you didn't have a fat ass Desian sitting on your back." Hoshi huffed, looking away before a sadistic smirk crossed her face, "But I killed him three years ago."

"Umm, is she a friend of yours Mr. Kratos?" Colette asked, curious.

"Yep, we were like brother and sister when we were younger." the violet eyed girl replied, "I loved playing pranks on his uncle with him."

"Him, playing pranks?" Raine muttered, eyes wide with surprise.

"People change, but I know his old sarcastic self is in there somewhere."

/

"Genis, what are you doing here?" Raine asked, eyes wide. It had been a day since they left Iselia and now her brother had shown up on Noishe's back, looking panicked.

"Lloyd's been captured by Desians, I'll give the whole story on the way there, but we need to hurry!" Genis quickly explained.

"Professor, Mr. Kratos we have to help him!" Colette said, eyes filled with worry for her friend.

"If that is your wish chosen." Kratos replied, though mentally he was panicking.

"Lloyd?" Hoshi asked, eyes darting to the mercenary for a second, receiving a nod in response, "Well let's get the poor kid out before those bastards decide to experiment on him or something!"

The white haired woman grabbed the auburn haired man and the older elf and dragged them after the large 'dog', mentally wondering how her friend was going to torture the Desians.

* * *

Hoshi's eyes narrowed at the sight of the base before them, her fingers going to the broadsword on her back before she changed her mind, and focused on her mana. "Ms. Akuma, what are you planning?" Raine asked, eying the guards at the entrance.

"You'll see." Was the reply as a white spectral sword materialized in midair and flew towards one of the guards, a blow to the throat killing him instantly. Another sword struck the man in the arm, making him drop the communicator he had pulled out. Kratos ran out and restrained the Desian as the rest of the group ran up to the door.

"How do we get in?" the elfin woman demanded, eyes narrowed. Her brother's best friend is in danger, she had to help him any way she could.

"Y-you need the access code." the guard stammered, "Not that I-I'll tell you."

"Tell us or I'll cut your balls off and force feed them to you." the violet eyed woman demanded, eyes showing that she was completely serious.

"I-It's the source of mana is the great seed!" the half-elf exclaimed, eyes filled with fear.

"Thanks" she smirked, knocking the man out with a blow to the head, "Shall we go and save this Lloyd person?"

* * *

When they found the teen he was being cornered by a group of three Desians, a pair of actual steel blades in his hands. "Lloyd! Are you okay?" Genis called.

"Are you all right? Are you hurt?" Colette asked, eyes filled with worry.

"He looks fine." Kratos replied, no one but the chosen and Hoshi noticed the tone of relief in his voice.

"Can we just kick these guys' asses and get the fuck out of here." the violet eyed girl sighed, drawing her broadsword from her back with a look that promised pain.

The rest nodded, and prepared their weapons, while the brunette got into a fighting stance. "I doubt you can beat me. I'll just take care of everyone at once!" Botta snarled, drawing a large glowing red sword.

A dangerous smirk crossed the white haired girl's face, "Ifurīto no honoo wa, awarena tamashī o, akuma no hi o nomi komute miyou! (1) "

Black flames engulfed the two men with the Desian commander, their screams of agony causing everyone to freeze. Before the remaining opponent could say anything the mercenary rushed at him, blade swinging to take his head off. The half-elf jumped back, and only his sword was cleaved in half.

"Damn…I underestimated your abilities." he snarled, dropping the ruined weapon and escaping through a door on the opposite side.

"Maybe I should've used a normal spell." Hoshi stated, "What do you think oh sarcastic one?"

"Stop calling me that." Kratos snapped, "And why are you asking me that?"

"Just wondering…" a sadistic smirk crossed her face, "Can I use the more powerful version on Kvar, he won't die until I will away the fire. So I could make him suffer for days!"

The mercenary seemed to contemplate the thought until Raine walked into the room. She had gone off to find a switch to completely unlock the entrance and by the look on her face she did.

She picked up the discarded weapon looking at the crystal imbedded in the hilt, "Isn't this a…"

"Professor!"

"Ah, Lloyd. Genis told me what happened." the teacher sighed, shooting her brother a glare, "I apologize for the trouble he's caused you."

" No. I'm the one that dragged Genis into it. I'm sorry." Lloyd replied, head bowed.

"Save the chitchat for later. We shouldn't stay here long." the auburn haired man ordered.

"Yes oh king of sarcasm." the violet eyed girl laughed, rolling her eyes, "So let's get the fuck out of here!"

/end of chapter/

**1) Let the flames of Ifrit swallow your pitiful souls, Demon's Fire!**

**Akako: Woot, another chapter done after two days!**

**Hoshi: And I showed up!**

**Lloyd: Man Kratos was in this chapter more than me.**

**Akako: Yeah, but now you'll show almost as much as he does! And later on, more than he does.**

**Kratos: …**

**Hoshi: Well, there is one thing I have to say… REVIEW ALREADY DAMNIT!**

**Akako: Hoshi calm down.**

**Hoshi: I WANNA MAKE KVAR SUFFER AND YOU ONLY PROMISED THAT IF YOU GOT MORE REVIEWS AND SO FAR WE ONLY HAVE ONE!**

**Akako: I was gonna make him suffer more than I planned to.**

**Hoshi: Well still people REVIEW!**

**Lloyd: S-she's scary.**

**Kratos: You get used to it.**


	5. Chapter 4

**Akako: OK, time for chapter 4!**

**Hoshi: You seem happy.**

**Akako: Usually by this time Writer's Block decides to pay a visit, but not this time. And I think I might be getting inspiration for The New Infection!**

**Hoshi: That's great!**

**Akako: I just hope I get enough to finish the next chapter on it, right when I get to a good part bam! Writer's Block hits me.**

**Lloyd: Man that sucks.**

**Akako: I know!**

**Hoshi: By the way, you forgot to translate Nani.**

**Akako: It's pretty easy, Nani means what.**

**Lloyd: What does it mean?**

**Hoshi: What.**

**Lloyd: Uhh.**

**Akako: Hoshi just translated it for you.**

**Lloyd: Oh.**

**Raine: Akako does not own Tales of Symphonia, only Hoshi and Demonic Spells she makes up.**

Chapter 4: The First Seal

Lloyd's eyes widened at the sight of Noishe, the animal's tail wagging, "Noishe! You came, too?"

The beast gave a happy whine and bounded over to Hoshi who immediately began scratching his ears, it was obvious he knew she'd pet him if he went over to her.

"I have a question. This crystalline object attached to this weapon… Is this one of the Exspheres that Genis spoke of?" Raine asked, eyes examining the ruined weapon in her hand.

"It would seem so." Kratos answered, examining the area for any threats.

"Oh yeah, you use an Exsphere, too." The brunette realized.

"…So you noticed."

"Well, duh." the teen rolled his eyes.

"Exsphere, right" the violet eyed woman chuckled, shaking her head. She was ignored by almost everyone, and the elfin woman seemed curious about the Exsphere.

"Why are you laughing?" the red clad teen asked, head tilted to the side.

"I'm Nutsie Coocoo!" she replied, grinning widely.

"Why is it you always call yourself insane?" the mercenary sighed, shaking his head.

"Because it creeps people out."

"What are Exspheres, exactly?" Raine asked, annoyed at the interruption of her examination of the crystal.

"It will take a while to explain. We can talk about it when we reach Triet." the auburn haired man sighed, already walking ahead.

"Yeah. Okay, Noishe! Let's go back now!" Lloyd agreed, following the older man. Noishe let out a howl and ran to catch up as did the rest of them. The walk back was mostly peaceful except for the mercenary snapping at Hoshi for constantly poking him with a stick she seemed to carry with her at all times.

"Hoshi, if you poke me one more time I am incinerating that stick." Kratos warned, voice dangerous.

"Watashi wa shitakunai! (1)" she shouted, acting childish.

"Watashi wa shinkendesu. (2) " he growled, eyes narrowed.

"Fain, anata ga katsu. (3)" she huffed.

* * *

The group sat in a large room in the inn, some sitting others standing. "…In other words, these Exspheres are amplifiers that awaken our dormant capabilities." Raine said, eyes lighting up, "I wonder if I could use one, too?

"That would be difficult. Exspheres are harmful to the body without a Key Crest." Kratos sighed, head tilted to the side like Lloyd's was.

"Um…can't we make a Key Crest?" Colette asked from her seat on one of the beds, trying to ignore how similar her friend and the mercenary looked.

"You need inhibitor ore, and only Dwarves know how to make them." Hoshi explained seriously, her attitude shocking most present, "Even if we had the ore, we'd need someone who can carve the charm into it."

"I can engrave that charm, but only my dad can process the ore." the teen explained. The auburn haired man barely hid the pain in his eyes when the brunette referred to someone else as dad.

"Stai bene? (4)" the violet girl asked.

"Well, is there any inhibitor ore among these materials?" the elfin woman asked, going through a bag of old materials.

"Raine! Did you bring these from our house?" Genis exclaimed, eyes wide with horror.

"Of course. They're valuable research materials. This is a holy vase from the Balacruf Mausoleum. This is a jeweled sword from the Martel Temple. This is a priest's crown from the Asgard ruins. This is yellow ore from the Hima mines…" she explained, pointing out each object.

"Hey, you've got a worn down key crest!" Hoshi exclaimed, picking up the object before anyone could speak, "Man the charm is almost worn off."

"…I can fix that. Don't worry, Professor, you'll be able to equip that Exsphere tomorrow." Lloyd stated, taking the object from the violet eyed woman.

"Really? Thank you, Lloyd! I'm sorry to make you go through the trouble but I appreciate it." the elf said, eyes wide.

"Welp (5), let's get to bed." the violet eyed girl chirped, grinning.

* * *

"Okay, it's done. …I'll go give it to the Professor." Lloyd yawned, streatching.

"If you are finished, then get some sleep." Kratos ordered, staring out the window at the stars.

"I will." the teen replied as he left the room to deliver the key crest.

He walked up to the two elves' room and knocked at the door, receiving a call of "It's open" in seconds.

He walked in to see Raine bent over an old text, busy with her research, and the elfin woman looked up. "Professor, you're still awake." the teen stated, head tilted to the side curiously.

"Yes, I've been organizing the data we've collected about monsters." she explained, seemingly deep in thought, "And what are you doing up at this hour?"

"…I was fixing your Key Crest." he replied, holding out the mentioned object.

"Thank you, but you mustn't overexert yourself. It's going to be a long journey after all. I don't mind if it takes a while to fix." the elf chuckled, shaking her head.

"…So are you saying that it's okay for Genis and me to come along on this journey?"

"Wasn't that your intent from the beginning? Stop pretending." she replied, amusement clear on her face.

"Hehehe… Oh yeah, I fixed the Key Crest, so here, take it." the teen handed her the inhibitor ore forged crest.

"You fixed it already? Thank you, Lloyd! So this is an Exsphere!" she whispered, eyes wide with interest.

"Ask Genis to show you how to use it." Lloyd added, a yawn finding it's way out.

"You should get some rest." she sighed, shoving him out the door, before her eyes rested on the stone embedded in the ore, "Heheheheheh! So this is an Exsphere! MARVELOUS!"

The teen blinked when he heard the exclamation, but shrugged it off and started to head back to his room. But he froze when he noticed the mercenary leaving the inn, and frowned, "Maybe I should follow him."

The teen walked out after the mercenary, and noticed that the auburn haired man was by Noishe's pen, the animal trying to get attention. The brunette walked over, and jumped back when the purple clad man's sword was pointed at him, "Whoa!"

"Lloyd…" he sighed, sheathing the blade, "I'm sorry to have startled you."

"Startled isn't the word for it!" the teen whimpered, eyes still wide with shock.

"You'd best not stand behind me." the mercenary explained, turning back to the pen.

"I won't…" the teen replied, going to stand next to the other, petting the large animal, "Do you like animals?"

"No, not particularly…" Kratos sighed, eyes moving to the sky.

"…Well, Noishe seems to be quite comfortable with you. He usually doesn't like strangers." Lloyd explained, head tilted to the side in curiousity.

/It seems he has one of my habits, I just hope this is all he got from me. / the mercenary mentally sighed, "I once had a pet, long ago."

"Really?" the teen asked, eyes wide with interest.

"Lloyd?" the auburn haired man began, but before he could finish he heard a familiar snicker, /Hoshi, why must you choose the most annoying momnent for a prank. /

"Aww, father-son bonding." Hoshi's quiet whisper reached the purple clad man's ear.

"Wh…what? What are you staring at me like that for?" the brunette snapped his full attention back to the teen.

"…Your swordsmanship is unrefined. You should focus a little more on eliminating your vulnerabilities." the mercenary covered, walking away with plans to get the violet eyed girl back, "If you care about your life."

"Grrrr! Just because he's a little better than me, he has to talk like he knows everything! …Well…a lot better than me. Damn!" the teen growled, unaware of the shadow sneaking up behind him.

A loud obnoxious noise followed by Lloyd's cry of shock caused the rest of the group come out to see the brunette glaring at a laughing Hoshi. "M-man the look on your face was priceless!" she exclaimed, ignoring the glare the auburn haired man gave her.

"Hoshi, can you act your age for once." Kratos sighed, shaking his head, "Or did you forget how to."

"Me forgetting something is like that bastard Kvar running around in a pink tutu singing about peace and love." she replied, getting a chuckle in response.

* * *

The party waited for Lloyd to show up, he was the only one still sleeping. Hoshi had taken to poking Kratos with a stick to entertain herslef until he took it a set it ablaze. "Angelus credo scintillans Eras in salutari opportuno. "Fidem adipisci non audio I Omnes susurris Evidens monitis. Video Angelis Ducam eos ad januam tuam. Non est fuga nunc Nulla gratia non est. No causam tristitia obliviscanturRISUS me cum scissa cor meumDecepisti me statim mihi somniaSumptus volui declinemus promissionem scire et totum esse mendacium. (6)"

"Where did you learn angelic?" Colette asked, eyes wide.

"An old friend who's with the church taught me." the violet eyed woman explained.

"By the way, why are you wearing all black?" Genis asked, giving her a weird look.

The white haired woman was wearing a long black coat, a black shirt, long black cotton pants, and black boots. "I can ignore most high temperatures." she explained, "Kratos liked to joke around about me being cold-blooded."

"Kratos? Joke?" Raine said to herself in shock.

"He used to have a sense of humor." Hoshi laughed, grinning, "Probably still does too. I'm sure I heard him use a bit of sarcasm earlier."

At that time Lloyd joined then and Colette smiled brightly. "About damn time." the violet eyed woman sighed.

"We can finally head out to release the seal." the mercenary shook his head, already his patience was thin.

"Yes. I'll do my best!" the chosen added, smiling brightly.

"The seal Remiel spoke of is in the Triet Ruins southwest of here." Raine pointed out.

"Cool! Let's go check out that seal!" the teen exclaimed, already excited.

"We'll see if that enthusiasm lasts…" Genis sighed, shaking his head.

"I'll be fine! Just you watch!" the brunette laughed.

"Oh, I just remembered. Let me give you this." the elfin woman said, handing a notebook to the teen, "Gathering data on your enemies is useful for protecting the Chosen."

"I…I'm going to do it?" he stammered, getting a bad feeling.

"I'll help, too." the teacher sighed, "Just think of it as homework."

"Ewww…"

Hoshi couldn't help but bust out laughing at the teen's reaction, she was already making her way out of the city before anyone could question her. Once they caught up, she was still laughing pretty hard. "What's so funny?" Genis asked.

"Oh, nothing." the violet eyed woman snickered, /He's just like his dad when his tutors assigned him a lot of homework. At least when he didn't ditch them. /

They continued on in silence before Lloyd broke the silence, "Soo, Hoshi, Kratos, where are you two from?"

"Nowhere, I've spent to much time traveling to really settle down." the mercenary replied.

"He was born in Palmacosta, if that's what you mean." the white haired woman explained, "I come from hell."

"Don't lie." Raine scolded her.

"It's hard to believe she isn't." the auburn haired man added.

"Meh, I don't feel like telling ya where I'm from." Hoshi explained, "Though I'm pretty sure my mom came from hell."

"Not funny." the teen sighed.

"Who says I'm joking." she replied, getting horrified looks, "What?"

"Hoshi, you need to learn to keep you mouth shut." Kratos sighed, "And we need to quit dawdling or we won't reach the ruins for another three days."

"But she said her mo-" the brunette started, but stopped at the glare he received.

"Hoshi," Colette began, "what was that magic you used back in that Desian base?"

"Demonic." she replied honestly, "I'll be honest with you guys, I'm not entirely human. My dad, his family was, but my mom, she was a pretty bad ass demon who gave the summon spirit Ratatosk info on how to seal away the demonic world."

"Is that so?" Raine asked, suspicious, "And how do I know you're not lying?"

All Hoshi did was grin at her, the white haired woman's eyes were now a bright golden color.

* * *

The group arrived at the temple within two days, the elfin woman completely wary of the half-demon in their group, though the chosen still treated her with respect. " Ah, so hot…man, I'm beat." Lloyd complained, sweat dripping from his face.

"See? You're already worn out." Genis sighed, shaking his head.

"I'm sick of this desert." the teen growled, eyes narrowed in annoyance.

"I love the desert." Hoshi chuckled.

"I was right," Kratos replied, "when I said you were clod-blooded."

"Well mom was a dragon demon." she replied, grinning before she suddenly began looking around with wide eyes, "Monsters!"

At that moment two elementals burst out of the sand, the stone that made up their bodies glowing red from their fiery cores. The white haired woman rushed in with her broadsword out, and slashed of one of the two monsters, her blade bouncing off of the stone shell. "Jigoku no dai jū-en o hiraki, kōri, akuma no zettai no sheru-nai de korera no dōbutsu o tsutsumu! (7)" she chanted, just as one of the beasts finished a fire ball spell.

Much to everyone's surprise a tomb of ice surrounded one of the monsters, its spell freezing with it. While they were shocked, the mercenary quickly shatter the ice and beast with a quick yet powerful kick. At that moment Genis snapped out of his stupor and began casting, "Wind Blade!"

The magic distracted the other elemental ling enough for Lloyd to land a blow on the core, his sword glowing red with the heat after pulling back. "HOT! HOT!" he exclaimed, dropping the blade.

Hoshi sighed and quickly cast a Icicle on the sword before casting it again on the second monster, cooling the core enough for Kratos' blade to cut deeper into the now steaming center of the monster. Once it fell the auburn haired man appeared to be exasperated, "This is going to be a nuisance."

"What is?" the teen asked, head tilted to the side.

"Ah, nothing. Anyway, it would be a good idea for you to learn techniques to protect yourself." the purple clad man coughed.

"Are you talking about self-defense training?" Colette asked, "Or something like Damage Guard?"

"…"

"Uhh, yeah. I taught Colette how to perform Damage Guard while we were camping out." the half-demon chuckled, grinning sheepishly, "At least we'll have some help teaching the rest. I'll help Raine, Colette gets Genis and you teach Lloyd Guardian."

"Don't I get a choice in who teaches me what?" the brunette asked, glaring.

"Nope!"

* * *

Hoshi's choice in tutors worked out great, each of the three learned their skill within three hours, or in Lloyd's case, one hour. "Okay! I don't really get it, but I already feel stronger! I can't wait to try it out!" the teen exclaimed, excited about knowing a new skill.

"I think you're just imagining things…" Genis sighed, but his voice was filled with humor.

"Hmm, what happened to Noishe?" Raine asked noticing that the animal had vanished.

"You're right. He's gone. Ah, man, he's run off again!" Lloyd sighed after looking around for any sign of Noishe.

"He's probably nervous about the monsters. I think it would be best not to count on Noishe in places with monsters around." Kratos explained.

/How does Mr. Kratos know that Noishe is afraid of monsters? / Colette thought, trying to keep the suspicion off of her face. Hoshi just shrugged and made her way up to the stone structure in the center of the ruins, the rest quickly moving to catch up to her.

"Say, is this the seal? It has my family's crest on it…" the chosen began, her voice filled with false confusion.

/Ugh, I forgot how the church tries to make the chosen an ignorant, innocent person. / Kratos thought with disgust, /She's so convinced that that is how she must act that she forces herself to do so. /

The violet eyed girl looked at the elfin woman to see that she almost had hearts in her eyes at the sight of the ruins. "Fantastic!" the teacher exclaimed, "Look at this slab covering the entrance! It's clearly of a different composition than the surrounding stone!

At that moment she bent down and ran her hand along the surface, "Hahahaha! It's just as I thought! This is polycarbonate, developed during the Ancient War to defend against magic! Oh, feel the smooth surface! It's wondrous!"

"What's so special about Plastic?" Hoshi yawned. The violet eyed woman was ignored in favor of studying the stone structure.

Kratos couldn't help but nervously ask, "…Is she always like this?"

At that moment Raine shoved Lloyd out of the way to look at the strange pedestal to their left. "…Is she?" the teen pressed.

"…I've been trying so hard to hide it, too." Genis sighed, looking sheepish.

Of course Hoshi ignored them, finding the mercenary's reactions pretty funny, /Oh boy, his overprotective parental instincts are starting to show up again. He's most likely resisting the urge to bodily harm Raine right now for pushing his little boy. /

"Wipe that grin off your face Akuma." the auburn haired man hissed, glaring darkly at her.

"It's not every day I see you almost afraid of someone as much as you were of your wife when she was pregnant." the violet eyed girl chuckled, ignoring the shocked looks she received.

"Hoshi." was the dangerous reply.

"Ok Ok I'm done teasing." she laughed, "And yes he was married to a nice woman, and had an adorable little boy with her. If I ever see that bastard Kvar I'll make him wish he never met them."

"Hmm? This depression…it reads, 'oracle stone.'" Raine had chosen that moment to interrupt, "Colette, place your hand here. That should reveal the entrance."

"Really?" the brunette asked.

"This stone is enchanted with magic designed to identify the Chosen. There's no question about it." the elfin woman explained.

"Actually it's designed to respond to angelic mana." the half-demon corrected, "The only time an angel can get in with taking this entrance is through here, and I doubt they wouldn't check to see if the seal wasn't messing up. If something happened to the seal, then the chosen can't complete his/her journey."

"An interesting point." the teacher muttered. At that moment Colette placed her hand on the impression in the stone and the door slid open.

"It opened! Wow! I guess I'm really the Chosen after all!" she exclaimed in fake shock.

" Yes, I think we all know that already." the elfin boy sighed, eyes filled with amusement.

" Okay! Now it's getting exciting! Let's hurry up and go inside!" the teen exclaimed, eyes shining with excitement.

"…I hope you'll be able to maintain that enthusiasm." Kratos muttered.

"He's got worse ADHD than your wife did." Hoshi chuckled, "He'll be distracted by the first shiny thing he sees."

"ADHD?" the chosen asked, genuinely confused.

"Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, can also be called ADD. It is primarily characterized by the co-existence of attentional problems and hyperactivity, with each behavior occurring infrequently alone and symptoms starting before seven years of age." the white haired woman explained, rolling her eyes before whispering to Kratos, "I TOLD you he had ADD when he was two but do you listen? NOOO."

He only rolled his eyes and entered the ruins followed closely by an excited elfin woman. The rest quickly caught up and they descended further, then heat becoming stifling and nearly unbearable. As they continued deeper into the temple the violet eyed girl seemed to recognize the area.

"So Efreet was sealed within his own temple." she mused, catching the rest of the party's attention.

"What do you know about the seals?" Raine asked.

"I just know about the structures of the summon spirit's temples." the half-demon explained, "I have no idea about their locations so don't bother asking."

"I see."

* * *

The party found the warp panel after hours of lighting torches and fighting monsters. Hoshi walked onto the panel and the rest quickly following after her. They came out in a glowing room, the heat was the cause of the glow.

"This place is also built with magitechnology! Absolutely fantastic!" Raine breathed. Lloyd walked ahead of them, approaching the strange pedestal in the back of the room. Once he was within ten feet, red mana started rising up out of the object. Colette was only twenty feet away.

"Ahh! What the?…" Genis cried out in shock, hiding behind his older sister.

/Is it reacting to Lloyd? / Kratos thought, drawing his sword at the same time as the half-demon. A large monster resembling a fiery lion appeared in a burst of flames followed by two smaller ones that were missing their back legs. The twin swordsman quickly jumped back in surprise, not expecting the sudden appearance of the monsters.

"That's a Ktugach!" the half-demon explained, "They are felines made of flame, be careful!"

"That this! Aqua Edge!" the mercenary growled when one of the smaller monsters, a Ktugachling if he remembered correctly, tried to take his son's head off. The small beast gave a yelp of pain attracting its parent's attention.

"Yo minikui! (8)" Hoshi called, throwing a black demon fang at the beast. The Ktugach turned to her hissing in rage at being attacked by the wave of demonic mana, and rushed at the violet eyed girl. She easily jumped to the side, eyes narrowed before a sword rain from the side distracted the large monster.

The brunette attacked it and the half-demon jumped back to begin casting a spell, but the elfin boy beat her to it. "Icicle!"

The beast screeched in pain at the feeling of its flames being extinguished and turned to the child in rage. "Genis!" Raine gasped, eyes wide with fear. The beast reared its head back a release a powerful blast of fire at the young spellcaster, who's eyes slipped shut in fear.

"Lloyd!" Colette gasped as the teen took the hit for his friend.

Hoshi immediately noticed the enraged look on her companion's face and quickly pretended to be casting as Kratos started to chant the incantation for a powerful spell.

"Shinseina chikara wa, korera no hason no tamashī ni anata no jōka-kō o hanatsu. Heiwa no zainin kyūkei! Sabaki! (9)"

Beams of light descended and struck each of the beasts, only the large one surviving the attack. The group looked to see the mercenary casting a quick healing spell on Lloyd and Hoshi appearing to have recovered from casting, and assumed that she was the source of the spell. /That dumbass! He really needs to reign in his parental instincts or I'm gonna be stuck pretending to cast all of HIS angelic spells. And if he uses Shining Bind in front of them, I'm not coming up with an excuse. /

The white haired woman ran in and quickly decapitated the monster once she realized that it was targeting the weakened teen, shooting the auburn haired man a warning look. By the look in his face he realized what he just did, and was mentally berating himself for it.

"You, the Chosen of Regeneration. Offer your prayers at the altar." a voice ordered the blond.

"…Yes, my lord." Colette replied, walking up to the alter and bowing her head in prayer, "Oh Goddess Martel, great protector and nurturer of the earth, grant me thy strength!"

A red light that was floating in the middle of the alter began to scatter towards the sky and then Remiel descended before them. "Colette, my dear daughter, you have done well." he said, barely hidden contempt in his voice.

/What. The. Fuck. Did he just lie to her. That bastard is not her father! / Hoshi hissed in her mind, /That bastard is taking advantage of the church's belief of the chosen being the child of an angel. /

"Thank you…Fa…ther" she falsely smiled, it felt wrong calling him her father.

"The guardian of the seal has fallen, and the first seal has been released. Efreet will surely awaken soon. In the name of Cruxis, I shall grant you the power of the angels." the angel added.

"Thank you, my lord." Four lights descended from the light and entered the chosen's body, her face showing surprise when purple wings sprouted from her back and lifting her into the air.

"The angel transformation will not be without pain. Yet, it is but for one night. Be strong and endure." the blond angel continued.

"I humbly accept this trial." Colette stated, bowing her head once more.

"The next seal lies far to the east, across the sea. Offer your prayers at that altar."

"Yes, Lord Remiel." she whispered, eyes hiding her confusion.

The angel turned into a ball of light a flew up into the roof, his voice leaving one last message, "I shall await you at the next seal, the Chosen of Regeneration, my beloved daughter, Colette."

She lowered onto the ground, seeming deep in thought for a moment. "Colette…has wings!" Lloyd gasped in shock.

She seemed to snap out of her thoughts and looked over her shoulder with a smile, "Uh-huh, and look, I can put them away, too."

The iridescent wings vanished into her back much to Genis' amazement. "Oh, wow! That's so cool!" he exclaimed, jumping excitedly.

"Here, look, look!" She pulled her wings out and began quickly flapping them, entertaining the child.

Hoshi just gave Kratos a blank look as the two messed around, "Kratos. Futatsu no kotoba. Serufukontorōru. (10)"

All the mercenary did was sigh in annoyance, his annoyance directed more at himself and not the half-demon. Of course at that moment the brunette spoke, distracting the adults from their thoughts.

"He said the next place is across the sea! That means we get to sail on a ship! I can't wait!" the teen laughed, a large smile on his face.

"A ship…hmm. I wonder if there are any ships sailing with the way things are right now." Raine muttered, looking pale.

"We should head to the coast to see what we can find." the auburn haired man added, a frown in place.

"Okay you two, we get it already. That's enough." the red clad teen sighed, really wanting to get out of the temple.

"Okay." the two chorused, both smiling brightly.

/end of chapter/

**1) I don't wanna!**

**2) I am serious**.

**3) Fine, you win.**

**4) You ok? (Italian)**

**5) Welp is basically well, I know a few people who say it that way from time to time.**

**6) (Latin translation of Angels by Within Temptation) Sparkling angel I believe You were my savior in my time of need. Blinded by faith I couldn't hear All the whispers, the warnings so clear. I see the angels, I'll lead them to your door. There's no escape now, No mercy no more. No remorse cause I still remember The smile when you tore me apart. You took my heart, Deceived me right from the start. You showed me dreams, I wished they'd turn into real. You broke a promise and made me realize. It was all just a lie. **

**7) Open the tenth circle of hell and encase these beasts within a shell of ice, Demonic Absolute!**

**8) Yo ugly!**

**9) Sacred Powers, cast your purifying light upon these corrupt souls. Rest in Peace, Sinners! Judgment!**

**10) Two words. Self control.**

**Hoshi: Seriously Kratos, self control.**

**Kratos: …**

**Akako: He's an overprotective father, what do you expect.**

**Lloyd: Huh?**

**Hoshi: Nothing.**

**Akako: Well please review, one review for almost five chapters is really not good.**

**Lloyd: Wait! What's Italian?**

**Akako: Italian?**

**Hoshi: You had me speak Italian.**

**Akako: Blame Assassin's Creed 2, it's too addicting.**


	6. Chapter 5

**Akako: Well let's see if we can get some more fans.**

**Hoshi: And let's celebrate the longest chapter you have ever written in your life that wasn't a ToD fic!**

**Akako: Huh?**

**Hoshi: Last chapter was over four thousand words.**

**Akako: O.o**

**Kratos: I think you broke her brain.**

**Akako: I'm OK, just surprised. Man I used to have to force myself to get even close to a thousand words.**

**Hoshi: So… a party seems pretty good.**

**Akako: No, we will continue!**

**Hoshi: Aww man.**

**Akako: We can party after Kvar dies.**

**Kratos: …**

**Akako: Anna, disclaimer please!**

**Anna: Akako does not own Tales of Symphonia!**

**Kratos: O.O**

**Lloyd: Mom?**

**Anna: Hi Lloyd!**

**Hoshi: On to the chapter before Kratos has a heart attack!**

"Hi oh King of Sarcasm." normal speech.

"**Insert cool spell here." **spell casting.

_/I like pie./ _thoughts.

"_Shut up!" _someone that lost their temper (coughHoshicough).

Chapter 5: Training, Tomatoes, and Assassins

The party finally exited the temple, running into monsters until Hoshi lost her temper and started beating the monster closest to her into dust. "Did she always have such a short temper?" Lloyd asked, a little afraid of the half-demon.

"Only if it involves certain conditions." Kratos sighed, continuing along the stone path. Before anyone could go any further, Colette collapsed face pale.

"Colette! Are you okay?" the teen exclaimed, running over to her. She was breathing heavily, eyes slightly grey, and she was sweating heavily.

"I'm…fine…" she whimpered, shivering despite the heat.

"You don't look fine at all! Your face is completely white!" Genis sighed, looking guilty, "It's all my fault. I got carried away and kept making her pull her wings in and out."

"I don't think that has anything to do with it…" Lloyd replied, worry for his friend showing in his voice.

Now's not the time for that! Her lips are turning purple." Raine stated, worry clear in her voice, "We must get her to a doctor in the city immediately."

As the brunette started to pull her up, the mercenary walked over, "Wait. It's best not to move her."

"Why?" the teen growled, angry at the suggestion.

"Previous Chosens have gotten sick after they begin the angel transformation." Hoshi explained, "I met one after they finished releasing a seal. She looked pretty bad, but it apparently happened after every seal."

"How did you know that?" the elfin woman questioned, helping Lloyd with the chosen.

"I've lived for a pretty long time. The average life span of a half-demon is around twenty thousand years." the violet eyed girl explained, "We should set up camp."

Once camp was set up the half-demon volunteered to make dinner and pulled out ingredients for one sandwich and stuffed tomatoes. "What are the tomatoes for?" Lloyd asked, looking disgusted.

"Stuffed Tomatoes, and of course one sandwich since someone would rather starve than eat a tomato." she explained.

"Genis told you about that didn't he?" the teen sighed.

"Nani? (1)"

"He told you I couldn't stand Tomatoes." the brunette explained.

The white haired woman growled and pulled out supplies for another sandwich, "What do you want on your sandwich?"

The teen blinked before looking at the ingredients in front of her, "Beef, lettuce, cucumber, and lemon."

He was answered with wide eyes, "Why is it you like exactly the same thing in your sandwich as Kratos?"

"Huh?"

"Never mind." she sighed, already working on the stuffed tomatoes. Once she finished with stuffing them, she gave them to Genis to cook and began working on two sandwiches.

"Why are you making two?" Colette asked, head tilted to the side.

"Kratos." was the only reply.

Once the tomatoes were done she handed both Kratos and Lloyd their sandwiches and went to eat with the rest, rolling her eyes in an annoyed manner. Colette was just staring at the two swordsmen, noting more similarities. /They both hate tomatoes and like having lemon and cucumbers on their sandwiches. / she thought absently eating her meal, even though she wasn't hungry, not noticing the lack of taste, /I wonder if those two are related somehow. I'll just ask Hoshi once everyone is asleep. /

"How do you like your tomato Colette?" Hoshi asked, "Genis let me know that you didn't like green peppers so I left them out. Of course I wouldn't eat any peppers if my life depended on it. I don't care what type they are, they are all nasty. Hmm, I should probably stop bugging Kratos about not liking tomatoes, since I'm the same way with peppers."

"It's really good!" the chosen said, before taking a bite. She realized that the food lacked any flavor but it was obvious that everyone else could taste it. She felt fear rise up at her sudden lack of taste before reassuring herself that it was probably from the stress of the transformation.

She noticed that half-demon's frown, and realized that maybe she knew about the lack of taste. /Well she said she knew previous chosens, so maybe it's just a temporary side effect. / the blond added, feeling herself calm at the thought, /I guess that's something else to ask her. /

"Your Exsphere has an unusual color." Kratos quietly told Lloyd, the white clad girl shocked she could even hear him from this distance.

"It does seem to be a little different from yours and the others." the teen mused, "By the way, why do you have an Exsphere?"

"I took one from a Desian. I heard that the Desians force the humans at the ranch to make them."

"So that's why Marble had an Exsphere, too…"

"Is it all right if I ask you something as well?"

/Kratos is pretty polite, but he never spoke this much to anyone but Hoshi. / Colette thought to herself as she listened in, /He's even nicer to Lloyd then the rest of us. /

"Oh…okay. Sure." the brunette agreed, confused.

"Why were you raised by a dwarf?"

"Dad found me collapsed in the forest along with Mom and Noishe. Although, what really happened was that we were attacked by Desians." the teen explained. The blond noticed the slight flinch the mercenary gave at the word 'dad', and added it to her list of questions.

"…I see." the auburn haired man sighed, a hint of pain in his voice "From the sound of that, your father is probably not alive either."

"…Probably not."

"So the Desians are responsible for the deaths of your parents… Your life has been completely torn apart by them." the sadness in the man's voice was barely hidden but the chosen detected it quickly.

"Huh?"

"Your mother was killed and then you were chased out of your village." Kratos continued, a frown on his features.

At that moment the blonde's attention was distracted by a hand waving in front of her face. She blinked and noticed the worried faces of the rest of the party, she felt ashamed to have worried them. "Are you feeling all right Colette?" Raine asked.

"I'm fine, I was just spacing out that's all." she replied, smiling. She tried to see if the two were still talking but the conversation was over, and she felt annoyed that she couldn't learn more about the mercenary on her own.

After a few hours, and finding out that the necklace Lloyd made was broken, the party went to their respective bedrolls except for Hoshi. The half-demon volunteered for the first watch, and ignored Kratos' demand for first watch instead. Once Colette was sure the others were asleep she quietly got up and walked over to the violet eyed girl, and took a seat next to her.

"What's wrong Colette?" the older woman asked, looking worried.

"Is it normal for a Chosen to lose the sense of taste after releasing a seal?"

"So, you lost that first." the half-breed sighed, "Last chosen lost the ability to sleep first."

"What?"

"Every time you release a seal, you lose a sense." the white haired woman sighed, "Is there anything else you want to know?"

"Umm, is Kratos related to Lloyd?"

Hoshi visibly held back laughter at that question, "W-why do ya ask?"

"They look really similar, they have similar habits, like how they both tilt their heads to the side when confused, they both hate tomatoes, and they like cucumbers and lemon on their sandwiches." the chosen explained, "There's just too many similarities for this to be just chance."

"You're right." the half-demon smirked, "You're smarter than ya act."

"I know."

"Well Kratos is -"

"Hoshi, you should let the chosen rest." Kratos interrupted, sitting up and sending the violet eyed girl a glare.

"Fine, fine."

This encounter just left the blond even more suspicious of the mercenary, especially since she noticed that his mana felt similar to an angel's.

/

The party was now on the walk back to Triet, the heat of the day stifling for everyone except Hoshi and surprisingly Kratos. "Man how can you stand this heat?" Lloyd gasped, "Wearing dark PURPLE too."

"I am used to climate changes." the mercenary sighed, "And it works if you just pretend that you are in a colder area."

"Like a city where it always snows!" the half-demon added with a grin.

She was given strange looks at the suggestion but then the rest of the party just sighed at her odd behavior. But the teen decided to try her method, and found that for some reason it was easy to picture a city covered in snow. It obviously worked because his complaints stopped, and he seemed to be a bit more relaxed. "It worked." Raine muttered, surprised, "I'm even more surprised he actually came up with the image of a snowy city, it rarely snows in Sylvarant."

"Hmm, but there are times when it does." the half-demon chuckled, "Trust me I've seen a city covered in snow."

/

After four days they made it to the Ossa Trail, the cool breeze from the mountains refreshing everyone. They continued traveling further in, following the path before them. As soon as they reached a large clearing a female voice shouted, "Stop!"

A woman garbed in a purple shirt, black tights, and a large pink ribbon tied around her waist landed in front for them, her brown eyes giving them a cold look and her black hair shadowed part of her face.

"What?" Lloyd asked, head tilted to the side just like the mercenary's.

"Is she a friend of yours, Lloyd?" Colette asked, looking at the woman.

"Not that I'm aware of." the teen replied.

/I hope this is the wrong group, I don't want to kill a father and son. At least I think those two swordsmen are father and son. / the strange woman thought, "…Is the Chosen of Mana among you?"

Before the chosen could answer, Hoshi covered her mouth, "Nope, we're just going to Palmacosta. The man in purple and his son, the boy in red, are on a pilgrimage heading there. My niece Claire, she's the blond, got an invitation to the academy there, just like the young elf here who is with his sister. Since we were all heading in the same direction we're just traveling together. Ya know, with all the monsters around it's a pretty good idea."

"Oh, sorry for delaying you." the woman bowed, "I'm Sheena Fujibayashi."

"Well, we should be going!" the half-demon chuckled, walking up the trail dragging the blond with her. Once they thought they were out of hearing range the teen looked at the violet eyed girl like she was nuts.

"You called Kratos my dad."

"You two do kinda look alike so it seemed believable." she sighed, "I think that woman was an assassin."

"Yes, it was a good thing you lied about Colette not being the chosen." Kratos agreed.

"We should hurry up in case that woman is listening in on us." the half-demon ordered, walking ahead after releasing the chosen. The walk down was relatively peaceful until Sheen landed in front of them, blocking the way out.

"I over heard you guys." she growled, drawing out a couple of seals, "So you thought you could trick me. And are you sure those two aren't father and son cause they really look alike?"

"Yep." the half-breed chirped, drawing her broadsword.

"Whatever. Prepare to die!" the assassin rushed at them summoning a strange beast, a guardian.

Kratos quickly dodged the summoned beast's attack and struck back and Genis tried to aid him with constant casting of Stone Blast. The black haired woman was fighting the half-demon, Lloyd and Colette as Raine attempted to keep the three free of injury. The teen rushed at the woman with both of his swords aimed for her legs. "Pyre Seal!"

A seal was slammed into his chest and the brunette flew back into the cliff face, head cracking loudly once he hit the stone. The violet eyed girl gave her a look that said, 'You are so screwed' before moving to attack the guardian. Before Sheena could move after the chosen a purple blur jumped in front of her and a foot slammed into her stomach hard enough for her to cough up blood.

Her eyes widened at the sight of the mercenary, not expecting him to look so infuriated, or to be that strong. She barely managed to dodge a swing of the sword meant to take her arm off, and quickly put some distance between her and the man to try and use an apple gel. She took note of how the elfin woman was healing the teen, a worried look on her face, before she had to doge a sudden lighting spell. She looked back at the mercenary to see that he was the one casting, and faster then even the younger elf could.

"**Take this! Grave!"** Kratos growled.

The assassin jumped out of the was as grey rocks shot out of the ground and stabbed at where she had stood, eyes wide with horror. No human could cast that well, even if he had a faint trace of elfin blood in him. What was this man?

"Kratos is really pissed off." Hoshi sighed, shaking her head, /At least he is refraining from using angelic magic… Barely. /

"**Ready? Eruption!"**

Sheena knew she couldn't dodge in time and used a quick Guardian Seal to block most of the spell the end still badly burning her. She gasped when she noticed a large broad sword inches from her face and that she had been backed into a corner. Growling to her self she quickly pulled out a smoke bomb, "Ugh…Just you wait! I swear I will kill you all next time!"

The bomb hit the ground blinding the half-demon, and when the smoke cleared she was gone. The violet eyed girl turned to the still furious mercenary and glared, "Kratos. _WHAT THE FUCK IS YOUR PROBLEM?_"

"…"

"_Seriously, I haven't seen you that pissed since that one guy hit on your wife and wouldn't take no for an answer._" she shouted, "_Not only that but you used ERUPTION? AND GRAVE! Why the fuck are you so pissed off?_"

"Hoshi calm down!" Raine snapped.

"_CALM DOWN?_" the half-demon growled, "_WHY THE FUCK SHOULD I CALM DOWN?_"

"Ms. Hoshi, you're really scaring us." Colette whimpered, fear in her eyes. This was something she had never seen, no one has ever been this angry around her and it was frightening. The white haired woman sighed, before walking over to Kratos and kicking him in the knee, hard enough for a crack to sound.

The mercenary hissed curses under his breath as he healed the broken bone enough that it would only be sore for a week or so, before moving to aid in healing Lloyd.

/

"Tell me Kratos, how are you able to cast such powerful spells?" Raine questioned, eyes narrowed.

"Ever heard of a mana transfer?" Hoshi asked, the mercenary not getting a chance to answer.

"Yes, but it can only work if the one receiving the mana is going to die." the elfin woman replied.

"Yeah, we got attacked by some desians when we were teens and the only way to save his ass was a mana transfer." the half-demon explained, "Though if he didn't have a n exsphere he would have been violently sick for a few days. Demonic mana is pretty tough to adjust to."

"She is incapable of controlling what part of her mana she transfers." Kratos sighed, "So she ended up giving me demonic. I am able to use magic because of this."

"Hmm, a small amount of demonic mana can power a high level spell." the teacher said to herself, "Fascinating."

"By the way, why was that chick trying to kill us?" the violet eyed girl sighed, she had forgotten about the assassin because of her rage at the mercenary's recklessness.

"…There are always those that reject salvation." the auburn haired man said, eyes shut.

"She could have been a Detain." Lloyd muttered, looking thoughtful, "I still can't believe that she thought Kratos was my dad, even after she figured out you lied."

"Well," Colette mused, "you two look alike, and have similar habits."

The two swordsmen tilted their heads to the side in confusion, the half-breed chuckling. "Man this is gold." she laughed, "Ya two both have to tilt your heads to the side when confused, don't ya."

"And you seem to constantly revert to using that accent whenever you are amused." Kratos retorted.

"Like I care." Hoshi grinned, "And here's another thing, you both have the same glare."

The two proved her point, glaring at her in annoyance, the chosen chuckling with a bright smile.

"Meh, it's probably nothing." the half-demon added, walking towards Izoold. The rest of the party followed after her, the elves questioning the violet eyed woman's attitude.

It took half a day to reach the town from the mountain pass, and the half demon seemed to have forgotten about her rage. Once they reached town the smell of the ocean hit them.

"Wow, I've never seen the ocean before!" Colette exclaimed, eyes lighting up.

"I haven't been here in a long time." the white haired woman added, enjoying the cool breeze. She paused, catching two women standing nearby having a conversation.

"I heard that a monster's roar was heard a few miles off, towards the land route to Luin." one said, "My husband is heading that way, I hope he is ok."

"It's probably just a dragon flying overhead." the other woman sighed, "You worry too much."

The chosen seemed to have heard the conversation as well as the rest of the party. "I have a feeling that a demon might be nearby." the half-demon stated, "I might check it out later tonight. Because if the beast is near Luin then we might run into it at a later date."

"We should just ignore it." Raine ordered, "This could just be someone imagining things."

"Either way, we should get a room at the inn for the night." Kratos said, already making his way there, "It will be sunset soon."

/

"Colette are you sure this is a good idea?" Lloyd hissed as they two snuck out of town.

"Yes, we'll be back before the others wake up." Colette replied quietly, "I'll fly and you can ride on Noishe's back."

The teen sighed in defeat and as soon as they reach Noishe, he climbed on his back and the chosen took flight. He urged the animal to follow her and soon they were miles away from the village, searching for the rumored monster. The blond landed, and turned to the teen, "I don't see anything."

"I still say this is a bad idea." he said, "I meant we could've at least woken up Hoshi."

"I'm sorry." she sighed, bowing her head, "And I was hoping to talk to you about something."

"What is it?" he asked.

"Does Kratos seem familiar to you at all, like you met him before he saved us at the temple?" she asked, looking the teen in the eye.

The teen seemed to go deep in thought at that moment, eyes closing. /Now that she mentions it, I do remember feeling like I've seen him before. / he thought, /And some part of me felt safe. /

"Lloyd?"

"Yeah he does." the teen whispered, opening his eyes.

"FIGHT… I… FIGHT… THE… STRONG…" a voice hissed. The two teens turned to see a large, horned, skeletal beast standing nearby, its red eyes glowing.

"Wh-what the…" Lloyd started, eyes wide at the sight of the demon.

"STRONG… ONES… FIGHT ME…" the monster hissed, attacking the two.

**"Holy wings, I beg of thee to reveal thy glory. Angel feathers!" **Colette chanted her wings out. The feathers falling from her wings froze in mid air and shot at the demon, the light causing it to release a bone chilling roar.

The teen jumped back from a swing of one of the four swords the beast carried and to his shock beams of light rained down from the sky, striking it and causing another roar to echo into the night. "Kratos, will you stop casting that spell!" a familiar voice shouted.

A blur rushed past the two and one of the skeletal arms hit the ground separated from the thing's body. "A Sword Dance." she muttered, "This things gonna come back to haunt us for sure."

To the two teens' surprise Kratos ran by, and stood protectively in front of them, send them both a glare. "It was foolish of you two to come out here alone." he growled.

He took notice of the fact that the two were distracted by something and realized that he forgot to hide his wings in the rush to protect his son. Another roar snapped his attention back to the Sword Dance to see that another arm had been lopped off. His angelic spell had weakened the beast enough for the blade to cut into the bone.

"I could use some help here!" Hoshi called, looking annoyed with the constant dodging. She leapt back once the mercenary ran forward and got into a cast position in front of the two.

"**Ten no hikari wa anata gata ni yobidashite kurai tamashī no jihi o mochi, mujitsu no hito o kizutsukeru kono tamashī ni ****handan o motarasu." **the half-demon chanted, "Demonic Judgment."

Grey beams of light came from the ground smashing into the beast, weakening it, but not doing as much damage as the previous Judgment spell. Lloyd ran in, deciding to do more than stand around, and quickly cut off another arm, the auburn haired man doing the same. The two jumped back and ran at the demon simultaneously using Sonic Thrust, passing each other when they hit the monster.

The monster vanished, and the two elders looked at the teens, Hoshi speaking first, "What were you two thinking?"

"I wanted to stop the monster before anyone else got hurt and Lloyd wouldn't let me go alone." Colette explained, "I'm sorry."

"Yeah, well you could've at least woken me up. Unlike Kratos, I'm not a stick in the mud." the half-breed chuckled, "Besides that thing's gonna come back looking for us. A Sword Dancer regains power after every defeat."

Kratos sighed, before noticing something glinting on the ground, and quickly scooped it up. The brunette noticed the object and tilted his head to the side.

"Is that the Yata Mirror?" she asked, "It gave us something to help us beat it next time."

"We should head back." the mercenary said, folding his wings so they were hidden under his cape.

"Wait!" Colette gasped, "Why did you hide the fact you were an angel?"

"…"

"Well, he wasn't supposed to let anyone know." Hoshi sighed, shaking her head, "How would you react if the Angel of Death said that he was joining ya on the Journey of Regeneration."

"You're the Angel of Death?" the teen exclaimed eyes wide.

All the auburn haired man did was sigh, almost sadly and continued walking.

/

"So we can't tell anyone." Lloyd sighed, looking annoyed.

"Sorry, but it's the rules, plus it's funny seeing Kratos try to keep those wings hidden. Unlike the other Seraphim, he can't put his wings away." Hoshi chuckled. They had finally reached the town again, and Raine was standing at the entrance looking annoyed.

"Where did you two go?" the elf demanded, "Lloyd if you convince Colette to…"

"It seems Colette was the one who did the convincing." the half-demon sighed, "I could tell that she was worried about the monster nearby, which was a Sword Dancer."

"A Sword Dancer?" the teacher questioned, now interested in the information on this new monster.

"It's a demon that comes back after being defeated, even stronger then before." Kratos explained, wings completely hidden, "Of course it can only constantly revive until it has regained its full power."

"Hmm, interesting." she muttered, "I'll need a complete description on the beast, and see if I can do any research."

/Wow, give her something to research and she forgets about what happened. / the violet eyed woman thought, "I guess we'll decide these two's punishment."

"Uh oh." the brunette obviously looked scared.

"I'll take care of Lloyd's punishment." the Seraphim sighed.

"Ok, we'll just decide tomorrow." Hoshi stated, yawning, "Right now I'm exhausted. Demon form twice in one night and casting a spell out of my element takes a lot out of ya."

/

Colette was staring at the dagger in her hand, her chakrams had been confiscated and now she was stuck with only her dagger, also banned from using her wings in battle for the next month. Lloyd was stuck wearing around a hundred pound weights on both of his legs and his arms, and his mana was sealed off, meaning no techs. "Well, let's look for a ship." Raine sighed, not exactly happy with the chosen punishments, but it seemed like a good idea for the blond to learn to use a close-range weapon.

Hoshi walked over to the nearest person and asked if he knew if any ships were running. "Sorry, there aren't any passenger ships running. It's too dangerous. I got here only by getting a ride on a boat from guy named Aifread." the man replied.

"And where is this guy?" the half-demon asked.

"Aifread? No, he's not here anymore. He said he was going back to his hometown."

"I see, thank you for answering my questions." the violet eyed woman replied, before moving onto a red haired girl.

"How can I quell these feelings I have?…Aifread…" the woman sighed.

"Uhh, why are you saying that?" the white haired woman asked.

"That bastard owes me money!"

"Oh, well I was told he went back to his hometown."

"…What did you say? Is that true?"

"Yep." Hoshi replied, confused.

"This is my chance!" the woman ran off towards the docks.

"That was weird." Lloyd stated, looking confused.

"You seem ok with the weights on." the half-breed muttered, "Kratos I think you need to increase the weight!"

"Why did you have to say that?"

/

"What's the matter with you? You're going to refuse my request? He's returned to his hometown of Luin!" a female voice shouted as the group entered the docks.

"Lyla, it's not like that. There are giant monsters at sea now. It's dangerous, and I care about you too much to let you come aboard. That's all." a man standing on the docks argued. He was fighting with the red haired from before, and the mercenary realized that the man was the captain of his own boat.

"Fine, Max. Then you go deliver the letter for me." Lyla snapped, glaring.

"No! Why should I have to act as a go-between for my rival in love?" Max exclaimed.

The money-lender seemed to be insulted by what he said and noticed the party standing nearby, "Oh, please, stop whining! Fine! You there, excuse me!"

"Yes ma'am?" Colette replied politely.

"I'd like you to deliver this letter for me to Aifread in Luin." the red head explained, holding out the envelope.

"Let me guess it's a notice saying that he needs to pay you back all the money he owes with interest." Hoshi smirked.

"Yes."

"We can't deliver it if we can't cross the ocean." Lloyd quickly added, realizing that this could get them across the ocean.

"If you'll deliver it, I'll have Max take you on his boat." Lyla stated, smirking.

"You can't be serious!" Max shouted, eyes wide.

"Very well." Kratos sighed.

"Then it's settled. All right, Max?"

"I…I'm not going to do it." the boat captain argued.

"You're kidding me!" the red head snapped, "Are you saying it's all right if my letter doesn't make it to Aifread?"

"L…Lyla! No, I mean, it's not…I don't mean that…" the sailor stammered, looking lost for words.

"Then, what do you mean? If you keep making a fuss about this, I'll just do this on my own!" she growled.

"…Okay, okay. I'll go, I'll go. Dammit…" he sighed in defeat.

"You should've just said that from the start." she grinned before handing Raine the letter, "Then, it's in your hands now. Make sure it gets to him."

"We will." the elfin woman replied. Lyla left the docks humming a merry tune as the rest of the group seemed surprised by how things turned out.

"…Let me know when you're ready to leave." Max whimpered, looking heart-broken.

"You do realize that the only reason she wants this letter delivered is because this Aifread guy owes her money." Hoshi sighed, "She obvious just wants her money back."

"You mean that she doesn't love him?"

"Uhh, no. She told me herself he owes her a lot of money."

"We should head out as soon as possible." Kratos stated, already getting on the boat.

The teacher looked ready to faint, and weakly climbed on, quickly clinging to the mast. The rest followed, some more excited then the rest. Soon the ship set off and the ocean breeze pulled them along to Palmacosta.

After a day of sailing they arrived at the largest city in Sylvarant, and the boat docked. "We're here." Max said.

"Thanks, Max. What are you going to do now?" Lloyd asked as the rest of the party got off, Raine almost kissing the ground.

"I'll request escort from a Palmacosta warship or something…Well, take care." the captain replied, nodding.

"Sorry for making you take us all the way out here. Be careful on your way back." the teen added.

"You too."

/end of chapter/

**Akako: And we are done!**

**Kratos: Why did you have Lloyd and Colette see my wings?**

**Akako: It's called boredom.**

**Hoshi: And it makes things more interesting.**

**Akako: Plus it's fun fucking up the plot.**

**Lloyd: Wow, you two are weird.**

**Hoshi: Why?**

**Akako: Is it because I'm basically murdering most of the main plot points?**

**Lloyd: I guess.**

**Anna: Well, this is long enough already. Please review.**


	7. GAH!

**Sorry if I got anyone's hopes up, but it's gonna be awhile before I update. I've gotta work on a huge research paper, I'm looking for scholarships (If anyone can suggest any that would help), and school's really starting to consume my time. I hope you guys don't mind, I'll try to update, and if anyone has ever written a report on the historical accuracies of a video game, please give me advice! Here's a little short to help people relax, and it does tie into the story since it's about me trying to get my MUSE TO GET OFF HER LAZY ASS AND HELP ME!**

"Hoshi, I swear if you don't get to work you're gonna regret it." I growled.

"No I won't" Hoshi yawned.

"I need ideas for the New Infection, An Angel's Fall, AND an essay, so GET YOUR ASS MOVING OR SO HELP ME I'LL MAKE AN OC THAT TURNS INTO A GIANT INDESTRUCTABLE SPIDER THAT'S BENT ON MAKING YOUR LIFE A LIVING HELL!" I shouted, eye twitching in rage.

"Sp-spider." she whimpered in fear, before jumping up, "Uhh, let me got get my notes and we can get started right away with that essay!"

"It's about damn time she started actually working." Senna sighed, leaning back, "Well, you ok with starting with the essay.?"

"Yeah, It's worth a test grade." I replied, slumping down, "I have two questions though."

"What?"

"Where am I and how the hell did I get here?" I asked

"It's your head, and I have no idea."

"Then how do I get out?" I questioned

"Once again, I have no idea."

"Well shit." I sighed, "I'm stuck until I figure it out."

**That's it, and remember, if you know any good scholarships, please tell me about them in a PM.**


	8. Haitus

Sorry everyone, but for the time being I have no inspiration for this story so it will be on an indefinate Haitus for the time being. I'd put it up for adoption, but since I'm using an OC, and I am VERY protective of my OCs, I cannot.  
Sorry if I got anyone's hopes up. I'll try to find inspiration soon.

Akako Hama 


	9. Chapter 6

**Akako: I'm back after so long.**

**Genis: It is good to have this story continued.**

**Anna: And it's fun being able to appear at least in the notes.**

**Kratos: …**

**Akako: Is he still in shock?**

**Anna: Looks like it.**

**Akako: Oh well, he'll get over it, Hoshi if you may.**

**Hoshi: Akako does not own Tales of Symphonia**

Chapter 6: Imposters, Books, and Desians

The party left the dock most of them looking at the city in awe, only for Colette to surprise everyone by bumping into another woman. They both fell over and a crash was heard as the other woman dropped a bottle of Palma Potion. "Oh no, I'm so sorry!" the chosen exclaimed looking worried.

One of the woman's three companions looked infuriated by what happened, his hand inching towards his sword. "Ahh! The Palma Potion that we just received!" the woman gasped, eyes wide.

"Hey lady, that was a very valuable potion! How are you planning on making up for this?" the man growled, glaring at the blond.

"I'll buy a replacement potion right away." the chosen bowed, embarrassed by the accident.

"…Replacement potion? Do you seriously think that's going to be enough to appease my anger?" he snarled, drawing his sword.

"Knock it off, or I knock you out!" Hoshi snarled, broadsword in hand.

"Why, you little…"

"Stop. I'd like to leave here as soon as Mellissa returns. Don't start any unnecessary trouble." the woman who was knocked over interrupted.

"Oh no you don't." the half-demon growled, "Threaten my friends and you have to lose a body part. So Mr. I'm an asshole, would you like to lose an arm or eat you own Testicles?"

"What-did-you-say? Do you know who we are?" he snarled.

"No, who are you?" she growled right back, eyes gold with silted pupils.

"We're the chosen's group!" he smirked.

"Really, then how about the chosen shows everyone her wings. I heard she released the first seal and got them." the violet eyed girl smirked circling around to stand behind the three.

"OK!" Colette chirped, her wings flashing into existence.

The man's eyes widened and he backed up, only to be grabbed by the half-breed at the same time as the woman. Kratos had a hold of the third member of the imposter's group and was sending the sword wielding one a death glare.

The party didn't notice the growing crowd surrounding them or the arriving guards, they were too distracted by the violet eyed woman's different treats. "What is going on here?" the captain of the guard called, "And what are you doing to the chosen and her companions?"

"Do you not see the blonde's glowing purple wings?" Hoshi shouted, "She is the chosen and these retards think they can get away with impersonating us! AND the asshole with the sword threatened Colette, and if you threaten one of my friends you either die or lose a limb!"

"Hoshi, please calm down!" Colette pleaded, wings flapping with worry.

"Ch-chosen!" the captain gasped before turning to the imposters, "You will be returning the Book of Regeneration immediately."

"Mellissa already went to Hakonesia Peak to sell it." the leader of the imposters smirked.

"Can I hurt him?" the half-demon snarled, giving him a glare.

"No." the guard retorted.

"How about I break his arm? He did threaten the chosen."

"Fine."

*Crack*

"AHHHH!"

* * *

"I am so sorry for the inconvenience." the Governor-General bowed, "We had no idea that those people were impersonating you."

"I-it's ok." Colette chuckled, "At least they were caught."

"I still wanna rip that guy's arm off, he threatens one of my friends and nearly hit Lloyd when he drew his sword." Hoshi hissed, glaring at the wall.

Kratos' face darkened at those words, but he quickly regained his composer and remained passive. "So, should we go after this Mellissa person?" Lloyd asked, breaking the awkward silence that followed the half-demon's statement.

"It would quicken the journey, after all it is a record of Spiritua's Journey of Regeneration." Raine agreed.

"And we need to catch that other imposter." Genis added with an annoyed look.

* * *

"Like hell I'm paying that much of a piece of paper!" Hoshi shouted, eyes promising death to the old man before them.

"I am sorry to have offended such a beautiful young lady." Koton smirked, "Perhaps you should join in the Asgard ruin tour at the Palmacosta travel agency."

"I will kill you." she snarled before Kratos dragged her out of the building.

"What a feisty beauty!" the old man chuckled, "It's a shame she seems like the type to scare off all suitors."

"BECAUSE I ONLY SCARE OFF PERVERTS!" the half-demon shouted from outside the building. Her exclamation was followed by the sound of someone being stabbed, and then curses aimed at the mercenary.

At that moment Colette noticed an old book sitting on a stand, "Hmm? That's a very old scripture…"

"Oh, my beautiful maiden! You have good eye! This here is something I purchased from a companion Chosen of Mana. It's a very rare scripture record that contains the Legend of Spiritua!" the elder grinned, "I've been wanting to get my hands on this for ages! I'd just about given up on Dorr ever letting go of it. It was very fortunate that the Chosen herself was willing to part with it!

"May we see it?" Raine asked.

"Why should I have to show it to you people?" Koton asked, suspicious.

At that moment Hoshi walked in looking annoyed, "Well we're uhh… devote followers of the church and wish to view the text from the first chosen. Colette here is versed in the language of the angels."

"Ah, yes, that's right. I've studied it since I was a child." the chosen replied, catching onto the ruse.

"Well, if it's that important to you, the maiden, feisty woman, and beauty can have a look at it. More than anything, I want the Spiritua Statue that is displayed in the House of Salvation. If you bring me that, I'll consider showing you the book." the old man grinned, ignoring the threatening growl the half-demon gave him.

"You're so stingy! Like it costs you anything to just let us look at it." Genis snapped.

"Shaddup! Get the heck outta here if you don't have money and don't have the statue!"

The group walked out to see that Kratos was sporting a large bruise on his left cheek, shaped suspiciously like a fist. "That'll teach ya not to stab me." the violet eyed woman grinned, "Sure it won't kill me, but it still hurts like hell."

Lloyd was about to say something when the whispers of the people nearby caught his attention. He noticed what appeared to be a tour and walked over to question them. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, you don't know?" The woman in charge stated.

"You all would be better off waiting here for a while. No matter what, you should stay away from Palmacosta." a man explained.

"Did something happen in Palmacosta?" the mercenary asked as the rest of the party joined the teen.

"It seems the Desians are headed for Palmacosta!" an old woman in the tour answered.

"WHAT?" Hoshi roared, before storming off, whispering to herself about torturing the Desians.

"Plus, they say the leader of the nearby human ranch, Magnius, is with them." the man added, looking scared, "I'm going to wait here until things cool down. You should hold off on going anywhere for a while, too."

Colette looked worried and ran after Hoshi, "Wait for me!"

The rest of the group quickly caught up with the two, and headed back to Palmacosta, at both the half-breed and the chosen's insisting. After two days they reached the city and noted how empty the streets seemed before the white haired woman picked up the scent of people in the town square. "How can you smell people?" Genis muttered.

"Half-demons have sensitive senses of smell and hearing." she replied, smirking, "Now hurry up!"

They rushed to the center of the city to see that all of the townspeople were standing there nervously. In the front of the crowd was an executioner's stand with a woman standing there with a noose around her neck.

"Out of the way! Lord Magnius approaches!" a Desian guard snarled.

A red headed half elf with defined muscles strode by the people with a look of disgust on his face. A man near the stand stepped back in fear, "It's Magnius from the eastern ranch…"

Magnius grabbed the man's neck and began squeezing with an enraged look on his face. "That's LORD Magnius, vermin!" with that the Desian broke the human's neck and let the body crumble to the ground.

/end of chapter/

**Akako: And done for now.**

**Lloyd: Glad you finally decided to continue this story.**

**Collette: It's not her fault that she had writer's block. It always hits writers when they really need to work on writing.**

**Akako: Yeah, and then my muse decided to focus only on Bleach, but she seems to want to work on both this and my Bleach story.**

**Hoshi: Glad to hear that. Though wasn't most of this written out several months ago.**

**Akako: Most of it, but I wanted to end it after Magnius showed up, not after the group learned of the Desians in Palmacosta. It gets to the fight scenes faster that way, and makes the chapters longer.**


	10. Petition

I, along with many, have been writing and posting on your fine site for years now, some of the better examples of up and coming writers out there are are now suddenly finding some of the stories we've come to love at risk of being removed without the chance to even rectify our errors.

For some, that means the permanent loss of a story. While I don't have anything that (I believe) violates your terms of use, there are those out there that are never able to recover a story in it's original form, this is something I find to be almost worthy of a legal action, as while we cannot claim ownership of a character, the stories are OURS and simply destroying them is something that is inexcusable.

It's quite easy to simply add an MA rating, additional filters or even a simple requirement for a free membership to read the stories presented here, and would cut down on hateful anonymous reviews and posts at the same time, so I have to question as to why such a thing, in all this time, simply wasn't added.

If you're worried about falsification of a registration then have an appropriate disclaimer and then there can be no dispute, you took your steps and the PARENTS didn't monitor their children, if that is even your concern. If it is more of a personal view or desire then please at least let people know and give them a chance to remove a story that you and yours find offensive, most people on the site are actually rather cordial when it comes to such requests.

While I cannot say for sure if this letter will even reach those that may be willing to listen, of if it's more akin to a wide spectrum purge in preparation for something bigger, please understand that you are going to be looseing a LARGE number of your writers, and thus your income from a lack of readers if there is not some level of action taken to help with this situation.

For those that may agree with this, please feel free to sign on and send this to the support server, maybe we can get some movement on this.

forum. fanfiction topic/111772/63683250/1/#63698621

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Her Dark Poet

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Shen an Calhar

NarutoMasterSage4040

Masamune X23

Kuromoki

Sliver Lynx

devilzxknight86

Unis Crimson

Zero X Limit

SinX. Retribution

reven228

JAKdaRIPPER

Third Fang

IRAssault

Grumpywinter

absolutezero001

Single Silver Eye

animekingmike

Daniel Lynx

zerohour20xx

arturus

Iseal

Silvdra-Zero

YoukoTaichou

Leonineus

Akako Hama


	11. I'm still alive!

**Alright, readers, important note here. I am getting back into this story, but after rereading it, I see a lot of changes I want to make. So this version will remain on here, but a newer one will be put up. I figure if anyone wants to make a comparison and suggest other changes they think will help.**

**So keep an eye out for a new version of this story, though it may take awhile with college and my recent addiction to Final Fantasy 7. Thanks for reading!**


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